


Domestic Bliss

by holy3cake



Series: Looking into the future of Chalex and Tystela [2]
Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Cute, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Future Fic, Love, M/M, Pregnancy, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:01:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 24,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24931216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holy3cake/pseuds/holy3cake
Summary: It’s been 5 years since former Liberty High students moved in together and started a new life. Charlie and Estela have news for their partners, but they’re not sure how they’ll take it.....Story now includes a detailed Chalex wedding scene :)
Relationships: Charlie St. George/Alex Standall, Estela de la Cruz/Tyler Down
Series: Looking into the future of Chalex and Tystela [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1814203
Comments: 146
Kudos: 106





	1. Breakfast Bundle

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I am in the process of writing another story, but I kept having this idea and I wanted to do it for ages! And those of you who have seen my previous works will know I’m addicted to Chalex and Tystela, so I had to do this fic! Not sure how long this one is gonna be, I thrive on the feedback so don’t be shy! 😊 Lots of love 😊 <3 <3 Again, I’m not extremely well versed on American culture/schools etc so please let me know if any details are wrong!

Five years later, and Liberty High school seemed like an awful nightmare. The torment and toxic atmosphere had cleared, and for four specific people life couldn’t be better. It was a sunny morning in April, in California. The household was just waking up, and the sun shined through the curtains.

Tyler yawned and rubbed his eyes, stretching as he got out of bed. 23 years old, and time had been good to him. Not only did it give him confidence, it helped him heal and work out what he really wanted in life. He knew it was the life of photography for him, and after attending college he was now a professional. He was a freelance photographer, mostly taking photos at large events or for individual clients with specific needs. He’d taken lots of photos of weddings and christenings, but he catered to anyone and anything. He preferred smaller venues and photos that were meaningful to people, but he didn’t mind. The pay wasn’t brilliant, but it was enough to live on. Especially with three roommates. As he got out of bed, he brushed his hair and put his clothes on. His brown curls were much thicker now, and he worked out more often. He’d made so many improvements to his life, that he could barely remember Monty. Hearing his name still made him twitch uncomfortably, but there weren’t as many triggers anymore. Part of his recovery was also down to his girlfriend, Estela. She was still curled up in the bed, and Tyler sat beside her. He stroked her hair, which was long enough to reach her waist now.

Time had also been good to Estela. Tyler always thought she was beautiful anyway, but she’d grown slightly taller, closer to Tyler’s height, and was definitely fiercer. After she’d finished college with flying colours, she was now a successful artist, with many of her works featuring in galleries all over America. But she was also an activist, participating in many protests and activities. Sometimes she even spoke at schools, trying to help the school culture. Tyler couldn’t help thinking she was a miracle, she pulled him out of one of the darkest times of his life. As he stroked her hair, she moved and took his hand.

“Morning!” She beamed, sitting up. They played with each other’s fingers for a moment, then Estela giggled. “Did you get any sleep last night? I swear.....If I hear Charlie moaning again we’re moving out...”

“Yeah....I heard that as well. I told them to keep it down, I don’t think they can afford a new bed again...” He smirked. Whilst their roommates had a noisy sex life, Tyler knew they weren’t trying to be inconsiderate. It had taken him and Estela three years before they could even touch each other intimately. But Estela respected him so much, they gradually built up their trust. It meant a lot to him, and when they’d made love for the first time he was extremely nervous. Despite the two of them having a very gradual and slow relationship, Tyler didn’t feel scared in sexual situations anymore. That was down to Estela, and he’d always be thankful for that. Taking her hand, they went downstairs and made breakfast. As Estela nibbled pancakes, Charlie bounded downstairs and waved at them.

“Hey guys! How’s it going?” He smiled, pouring himself a glass of orange juice. Tyler and Estela smirked at each other, wondering who would bring up the topic first.

“Charlie.....you know I love you to bits right? But....you gotta do something about your um......activities.” Estela coughed suggestively, but Charlie was none the wiser.

“Activities? I don’t....”

“Dude, she means in the bedroom. I heard that floor creak again last night, and the shower doesn’t exactly cover up the noise either....” Tyler giggled, sitting beside Estela.

“O-Oh....sorry! I do try and be quiet but....”

“Too much! Charlie, I’ve got work in an hour and I really don’t need to be thinking about you and Alex in the shower...” Estela shuddered, but laughed.

“Hey, that gallery you’re working at today is near the studio. They’re doing a shoot today, meet for coffee?” Charlie asked, making toast.

“Yeah, count me in. But I haven’t been able to drink any caffeine at the moment.....I think it’s a stomach bug or something...” Estela groaned, clutching her stomach. “Actually....” Estela ran out of the room and to the toilet. Alex was about to use it, but let Estela go and went to the kitchen instead.

“Hey males.” Alex said, heading for the fridge. Tyler was biting his lip at the table.

“Is Estela throwing up in there?” He asked, worried.

“I’m not sure. But I wouldn’t worry, we ate some gross sausages last night. I shouldn’t have let her eat so many.” Alex sighed, making tea. Charlie checked his watch, then gasped.

“Shit. I’m gonna be so late. I’ll see you guys later. I hope Estela is alright Ty, let me know if you want me to pick her up anything after work, I’m heading to the shops later.” He turned to Alex and kissed him. “Love you! Bye!” He rushed out of the door, grabbing his bag as he left.

“Can you believe he’s going to be on the front of a magazine now?” Alex sighed, sitting opposite Tyler.

“He’s seriously ripped now. Can you tell him to put a shirt on, once in a while? And also it’s your turn for laundry, I finished mine yesterday.” Tyler said, finishing his breakfast and picking up his bag. Alex nodded and waved at Tyler.

“You heading out as well? I haven’t got work until later.” Alex said.

“Yeah, I want to head to the gym first, check in with Tony. Did you hear he got engaged last week?” Tyler smiled.

“No way! I wonder who his best man will be?”

“I’m not sure. I hope he’ll ask me to do the pictures though!” He smirked. “Anyway, it’s probably about time we started thinking about......marriage?”

“Already?”

“Well....I know you and Charlie had some bumps along the line. But, think about it? Anyway see you later!” Tyler waved and went to the toilet, knocking on the door.

“Stel? You okay? I’m going to go see Tony before work, you need anything?” He called out. He could hear Estela coughing slightly.

“N-Nope! I’m all good! Love you!” She called back happily.

Tyler smiled and headed out, he was still worried about Estela, but he knew he wouldn’t achieve anything by pushing her. Alex sat in the kitchen, taking gentle sips from his cup. Tyler’s words resonated in his head.

_“Anyway, it’s probably time to start thinking about marriage.”_


	2. Making Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! This chapter is mostly Charlie’s POV, but Estela's also here. This chapter is all about planning and some fluffiness. But mostly shows the trust between these 2 friends 😊 Enjoy and as always, thank you so much for reading, it’s so good to know I’m putting a smile on people’s faces 😊 
> 
> This is a short chapter, because the next one will be longer! <3

Later that afternoon, Charlie and Estela were nearing their lunch breaks at work. Charlie was at a photo shoot for an upcoming sports magazine and had an interview with a journalist, whilst Estela put the finishing touches to her latest painting. They’d agreed to meet up, so as the clock ticked, Estela checked her watch and packed her materials away. It was one o’clock now, so she headed to the café opposite the gallery. She wasn’t sure if Charlie would be on time, but she sat down and started scrolling through her phone as she waited.

“Hey! I’m going to get a coffee; do you want something?” Charlie was suddenly in front of her, and Estela nodded.

“Just a glass of water please...” She replied, putting her phone on the table. She tapped her fingers nervously as Charlie brought the drinks back, along with a table number. He passed her the water and sat opposite her.

“How’s it going? Did you finish that painting?” He asked, taking a drink of his coffee.

“Yeah I did. I asked if I could go home early.....I was actually going to call in sick today...” Estela sighed, playing with her straw.

“You’re still sick? Damn....Stel, maybe you should see a doctor?” Charlie suggested.

“W-Well....I don’t need to...” She bit her lip. “C-Charlie, I know we normally meet up for lunch. But I need to tell you something.”

“Oh? What’s up?”

“I-I’m.....pregnant....Or at least....I think so....” She chewed her bottom lip, almost drawing blood.

“Holy shit! Really?!” Charlie jumped up in his chair. “What are you going to do? Does Tyler know?”

“No, not yet. I can’t be sure.....I haven’t taken a test yet. But I’m over a week late....and my mom had really bad morning sickness. It would make sense if the sickness was passed on to me...” Estela sighed. Charlie patted her shoulder.

“Then that should be your next move. Go to the shop on the way home, get the test. Then you have to tell Tyler.” Charlie smiled softly.

“I want to but....I’m so scared. He’s made so much progress since....well. But I’ve been thinking about the future. I want a life with him, haven’t you thought about the day we all go our separate ways? We can’t live together forever, the four of us. You should be thinking about that too.” She smiled, but her voice wavered slightly. The future was still a terrifying prospect.

“I have been thinking about that, actually.” Charlie leaned forward and put his cup down.

“Oh yeah?”

“I um.....I’ve been so busy at work recently, that I haven’t seen that much of Alex. He’s busy as well, but maybe if we....if we moved in together it might be different. Don’t get me wrong, I love living with you and Ty, but we all need our space. I want to spend some quality time with him.” He smiled back, Estela reaching out to pat his shoulder too.

“There’s not even space in that house for a baby, so we should move out. But don’t be a stranger, please visit!” She beamed, giggling.

“There’s something else....but I’m not so sure he’ll go for it...” Charlie sighed, drinking the remains of his coffee.

“Tell me!”

“Estela....I’m gonna ask him to marry me....”

“ARE YOU ACTUALLY FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!” Estela squealed loudly, the entire café turning to look at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have some ideas about the next chapter, but I just wanted to see how people felt about this? I was really freaked out about making Estela pregnant, but I thought after Tyler healed it would be a prospect for them. Let me know if you have any ideas for the next chapter!


	3. Reading between the Lines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greetings all! After my last short conversation chapter, we’re back to Tyler and Alex, but it will be Alex’s POV here. First and foremost, I’m still so happy with everyone leaving kudos and comments on my stories, cannot even emphasise the love for you all. Please enjoy this chapter! 😊 Also short conversation chapter again, next one will be longer!

Whilst everyone else had left, Alex wasn’t starting his shift until 6pm that day. Alex was now working as a school counsellor. Even ending up on that path made him roll his eyes with the irony, but when he’d finished college he’d had a revelation. He didn’t want anyone to have to be in the position he’d been in before, or that Hannah had to face. Charlie’s constant intervention and calming nature had set Alex on a slightly different career path than he’d thought he’d pursue. But he’d seen so many young people die, and something had to be done about it. He wasn’t just any school counsellor though, his job had lots of different elements. He wasn’t sitting in an office all day, encouraging students to talk through their problems. It was gym-based therapy. The students would meet Alex in the gym, and he’d take them through a workout based therapy. By taking their anger out on a punching bag, the students often found ways to deal with their anger in a healthy way. Alex tended to get students referred to him with anger issues, or students that were involved with criminal activity. As gym was an after-school activity, Alex met them after classes. But he still had to report the student’s progress to the principal and write a report on them. His job was half office based and half practical action. Alex thought of the idea when he remembered how he and Tony helped Tyler in this similar way to help him through the dark times. Alex’s therapy had worked for plenty of students, and they often got him gifts when they left the therapy, just to say thank you. With his next shift in an hour, Alex had a shower and got dressed, making his way to the gym early. He could see Tony working out in the window, so he went in and waved.

“Hey man! Tyler told me you got engaged?” He said, passing Tony a towel as he jumped off the treadmill.

“Yeah, I did. Caleb proposed last week when we were in Paris.” Tony smiled, wiping the sweat off his face.

“Let me guess, when you were visiting the Eiffel Tower?” Alex smirked, crossing his arms.

“Actually no. We were walking by the Seine, and he just stopped me. Went down on one knee and everything.” He grinned.

“I can’t believe people are getting married now. Do people from our generation even do that anymore?” Alex grabbed a bottle of water.

“Hell yes. I already think of Caleb as my family, but I think he wanted to have a deeper bond. Or maybe he just liked the way Caleb Padilla sounded.” He chuckled.

“Wouldn’t you take his name?”

“I don’t think it matters that much. Either way, it’ll be amazing to call him my husband.” He smiled widely. Alex nodded, then tilted his head to the side, thinking to himself.

_Charles Standall? Alexander St George?_

“Y-Yeah. Well, congratulations man. I expect an invite to the big day.” Alex smiled, waving as he saw his student enter the gym. He went over to him, and they started therapy.

***

That night at dinner, the four friends sat together at the table. Charlie had cooked one of his meals again, and the others all knew he was the best cook in that house. It was quite late as they’d waited for Alex to finish work, but none of them minded. As they all ate, Estela looked at Charlie across the table.

“S-So! Charlie, you know you were asking me about that...bakery earlier?” Estela asked, picking at her food.

“Oh! Do....do they have a fresh roll...?” Charlie asked back, trying to be subtle, but earning an eyebrow raise from Alex.

“Yes. They do. They said they were testing the bread for a new recipe....and they made a roll..” Estela stuttered, whilst everyone stared at her.

“That’s good to hear! W-Well! I’ll stop by there tomorrow...” Charlie ate quickly before anyone could question him.

“If you two are done being weird....I was wondering if anyone has a day off soon? We should hang out; it’s been ages since we all went out.” Alex said, taking a drink.

“I’ve actually booked the weekend off. Maybe we could do something then?” Charlie said, flashing a look at Estela. Estela nodded.

“A-ah! Tyler and I have plans that weekend, sorry!”

“We do?” Tyler said, confused. Estela kicked him.

“Yes! You remember? Maybe the two of you should go for a weekend away, that would be so romantic.” Estela smiled, and Alex took Charlie’s hand.

“That’s actually a nice idea. Should we?” Alex asked, stroking Charlie’s hand. Charlie smiled widely, squeezing his hand.

“Mm! I’d love that.” He reached over and kissed him, embracing him for moment before nodding at the other couple.

“Well, I’m going to turn in soon. I feel so exhausted after today.” Charlie said, clearing the table. When everyone headed up to bed, Alex paused at the stairs, remembering Tony’s words as well as Tyler’s. He wondered if he was overthinking things, but he had a goal for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept thinking about which name sounds better on Chalex, and I personally kinda like Alex St George, but what do you prefer? 
> 
> Lots of love :) <3


	4. Making a Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! My chapters have been very short so far, as most of them are conversational, but now I’m writing a longer one here because I need to do a special Alex scene. Alex’s POV again here, with a small Tystela scene and there will be some Chalex cute times in the next one! Thanks again for reading! <3

As soon as the sun rose the next morning, Alex was out of the house before anyone woke up. Normally he’d use the morning to snuggle up to Charlie, but it was imperative that Charlie didn’t find out what he was up to. Or anyone else in the house, for that matter. It wasn’t that he wanted to lie, but it was less awkward to try and talk his way out of why he was behaving in the way he was. He was behaving in a strange way, because he couldn’t stop thinking about everything his friends had said.

_It’s time you thought about the future. You can’t continue this relationship without some plan. Tony’s already engaged for god sake._

Running his hand through his hair, Alex headed for the stores. He wasn’t sure if anything was even open yet, but that didn’t stop him from looking through various windows. Considering he’d never been in such a serious relationship before, he wasn’t sure where to start. He looked at various displays of jewellery windows before bumping into a couple, gasping slightly.

“Alex! Dude, it’s been forever! How are you?” Clay smiled; his arm linked through an unfamiliar brunette’s. Clay looked very different, he was wearing a suit and sported a much larger, muscular frame. Alex was particularly surprised, especially since he hadn’t spoken to him in over four years, or at least only through texts.

“Hey Clay. What brings you to California?”

“Oh, I’m here for Heidi.” He smiled, nudging the girl linked to his arm. “We met at Brown. She’s a graphic designer, and we’re here for her latest book release, he smiled. Alex nodded thoughtfully.

“Impressive. I live here with Charlie, Ty and Estela.” Alex smiled and leaned against the wall.

“Oh, you guys still together? That’s really cute. We just got engaged...” Clay smiled and cuddled Heidi close. Alex sighed slightly and stopped himself rolling his eyes.

“You too? Tony is engaged too, have I missed something?”

“I’m not the one looking at ring displays man...” Clay laughed while Alex shifted his feet slightly.

“I’m not! I w-was just taking a morning walk....”

“Hey, I didn’t mean it badly. I think it’s sweet, if you’re thinking about proposing you should go for it. I just think we all deserve better.” Clay said, his voice filled with genuine longing. Alex knew that Justin’s anniversary was coming up, so he smiled, knowing what Clay went through every year.

“You’re right....Thanks Clay.” Alex and Clay hugged quickly, before Clay waved and headed off with Heidi. Alex couldn’t help thinking about how much Heidi looked like Hannah, and maybe Clay found comfort in the similarity. There was something to be said about moving on, but maybe Clay had to have some of his past, to make a future. Either way, Alex had to really think about what he wanted for his own future. Could he see himself with Charlie, forever? It wouldn’t be good enough to say maybe, he had to be sure. But they really had been through so much together, not to mention the heated arguments they’d had before making the decision to move in with each other, and Tyler and Estela. Through it all, Alex really felt like he’d become a better person with Charlie at his side. There was a huge amount of fear being without Charlie, and the thought of marriage was more exciting than scary. Alex thought maybe he was just annoyed at the number of couples getting engaged, rather than the engagement itself. It wasn’t that long ago that they were covering up a murder, but he didn’t like thinking about that. As his thoughts clouded his vision, the sun started rising. He’d left the house at 6am, and without meaning to, spent 2 hours thinking about his future. The stores were open now, and a few people passed him on the street. Alex sat on a nearby bench and stroked the side of his head. He couldn’t feel anything there anymore, and the memories of the bullet had subsided. The feeling of almost ending it all, it hadn’t plagued him for years. He felt so much stronger now, physically, and mentally. Standing up, Alex walked over to the store entrance. He’d noticed the absence of his limp as well, another huge achievement, especially when he’d hated the cane so much. He was trembling inside, but now his parent’s words echoed in his head.

_Is he good to you? Does he make you happy? Son, if you’re happy that’s all I care about._

Charlie was very good to him, he was the only person that he pursued him, instead of Alex doing the chasing, like he had with Jessica. Stepping into the store, he took a deep breath and went over to the store assistant.

_If this is the only time for me to be okay....I want it. I want life to be about more than just surviving....I want to live._

“Hi there. I was wondering....I want to propose to my boyfriend. How would I go about doing that?”

***

Back at the house, Tyler and Estela were just waking up. It was just past 9am now, and neither of them had work that day. Tyler leaned over and held her close, kissing her ear softly.

“Good morning.” He whispered, his voice a bit gruff from sleep.

“Hey.” Estela smiled and pulled him closer, resting her head over his shoulder. She didn’t feel so sick that morning, but the sickness she did feel was from worry.

“Do you want some breakfast?” He said softly, kissing her cheek.

“Nah, not yet. I’m not hungry...”

“Still not feeling good? I’m worried about you, Stel.” Tyler said, voice full of concern. Estela ruffled his hair.

“I’ll be okay. There’s....actually something you need to know Ty.” She said quietly, looking at the bed. Tyler nodded and stroked her arm.

“What is it?”

“I....I’ve been feeling ill for a few weeks......and I’m really late...so... I stopped at the drug store on the way home yesterday....”

“Y-You’re....late....”

“Y-Yeah. So I.....I got a pregnancy test. Ty....It was positive...” Estela spoke fast, but Tyler still heard. There was a few moments of silence, time seemed to slow until it almost stopped. Then he looked at her, blinking back tears.

“We’re......having a baby?” He said, choking up.

“Yes.....are you okay? I know it’s....a lot to hear....especially since we only just woke up...”

“It’s.....It’s....” Tyler tried really hard, but tears ran down his face. Estela got a tissue and dabbed his voice, biting her lip. His reaction was odd, she couldn’t tell if he was upset or happy.

“That’s fucking amazing.....I-I mean if you want this. But I promise you, I’ll be with you no matter what you decide.” Tyler took her hands and kissed her. Estela smiled softly.

“Well, I know it’s unexpected but....I’ve been thinking a lot about our future and I really want to start now. We have so much money saved; I think we should get our own place. And the baby is going to need its own room.” She beamed, whilst Tyler nodded eagerly.

“We can paint it! And we can hang your paintings up, and I can put my photos up! We can make furniture, and we..” Tyler trailed off, overexcited. Estela smiled widely and hugged him.

“We can do it all. But, I have a question for you Ty.”

“Mm?”

“Can we make Alex and Charlie Godparents?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only just thought of the idea to make Alex and Charlie the godparents of Estela's child, because all I have in my head is Charlie bringing like thousands of toys and obsessing over the baby :) <3


	5. Making Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning all, or good afternoon or evening based on where you are, it’s still early for me 😊 We’re moving to Charlie’s POV again here, and whilst the first part of this chapter is conversational, I will be doing Alex and Charlie’s weekend away soon. This story might also include another year time lapse because I want to write when Estela has her baby, and Charlie and Alex are Godparents. Enjoy!

As the weekend drew closer, Charlie was making preparations for his upcoming proposal. He’d told Estela and was ecstatic at her own news about the baby. Things were moving fast, that was for sure. But that wasn’t a problem, he just needed to make some plans and work out how he was going to pop the question, where and when. Even before those plans, he needed to have a very important conversation, with some very important people. As he brushed his teeth and got dressed, he wondered why Alex had left so early. It was strange to wake up without him, but he knew Alex would be back later. Grabbing his bag, he got in his car and drove off. After driving a short distance, Charlie pulled up and parked. He’d arrived at the Standall’s residence, and he’d rung in advance just to make sure Alex’s parents would be home. He walked up the steps and rang the bell, tapping his foot nervously on the porch. Alex’s mom opened the door.

“Charlie! Hey, come on in!” She smiled widely and ushered him in, whilst Alex’s dad stood in the hallway.

“Hey! It’s great to see you again!” Bill beamed, sitting down on the sofa. Mrs. Standall and Charlie came over, Charlie sitting opposite both of them.

“Do you want a drink or anything Charlie?” She asked, but Charlie shook his head with a smile.

“No, that’s okay thanks. So, how’s everything been here?” Charlie asked. All three of them indulged in conversation, debating on how the weather had been and what everyone had been up to. After 20 minutes, Bill tapped the side of the sofa softly.

“So Charlie, how’s it going with Alex? When we last spoke to him, he said you were doing well.” Bill grinned.

“Y-Yeah we’re good. Actually....that’s kind of why I came over here....”

“Oh?”

“It’s kind of old fashioned.....but I wanted to this right.” Charlie took a deep breath and brushed his hair out his face, sitting up straight.

“Mr. Standall, Mrs. Standall. I came here today to ask you....if I could have Alex’s hand in marriage...” He said softly, a small smile on his face. He was so nervous inside but tried his best not to show it. Mrs. Standall gasped.

“Really?!”

“Ahh Charlie. Get over here.” Bill smiled, holding his arms out. Charlie grinned and went over, giving him a hug. Mrs. Standall almost jumped on them, joining the hug.

“Welcome to the family, potential son-in-law.” Bill smiled widely, whilst the three of them eventually broke the hug.

“Thanks so much you guys. I just....It means a lot to me.” Charlie looked so happy; his face was bright with pure joy. After he’d spoken more with them, he waved and headed back to his car, still beaming. One plan completed, two more to go, he thought as he drove home.

***

Alex had got back from the store when everyone else got home. It was the afternoon now, so he started making some sandwiches. He wasn’t expecting everyone to be back for lunch, but he made extra.

“Hey, is there some reason you’re all here at lunch? I thought you had jobs to go to?” Alex said, as his three housemates sat around the table.

“What about you, aren’t you working today?” Tyler asked, drinking some water.

“I’m on late shifts all week. Apart from the weekend.” Alex replied, eating his sandwich. Estela squeezed Tyler’s hand.

“Actually....there’s a reason we came home for lunch today.” She said, whilst Tyler nodded shyly.

“Oh?”

“Alex, I’m really sorry but we’re going to have to move out.” She sighed softly, whilst Charlie nodded, already understanding the meaning.

“Ah, really? Well I wont lie, I’ll miss you guys. But I get it, you need your space right?” Alex said, opening a bag of crisps.

“Yes......Even more so because.....we’re having a baby...” Estela smiled widely, along with Tyler. Alex’s jaw dropped.

“So that’s why you’ve been sick all week! Sneaky.” He smirked. “But that’s great! Isn’t that great?” He looked at Charlie.

“I kinda....already knew..” Charlie said sheepishly whilst Alex punched his arm. Tyler and Estela held hands.

“Well, we’re not sure when or where yet, but we’ll be looking at apartments and houses soon. I think it might be better if we left before the baby is born, just so we can settle in.” She smiled.

“Wait a second......why don’t you just stay here? This is a two bedroom house, and then you can make our bedroom the baby’s room. It’s close to your jobs as well, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice everything for us.” Alex said, whilst Charlie raised his eyebrows.

“Are you sure? But what about you two?” Tyler asked, looking at them.

“We have some money saved; we can easily look for an apartment. You don’t need the pressure of finding a place, you’ve got to think about the baby.” Alex smiled softly. Charlie grinned at him.

“Alex Standall, are you asking me to move in with you?” Charlie smirked.

“I mean.....technically we already live together but...” Alex laughed. “It would be nice to have our own place. Then you won’t bother Stel and Ty with your screaming.” Alex smirked and started clearing up. Charlie smirked a little and rolled his eyes.

“Well....if you’re sure. Thanks Alex.” Estella smiled and hugged him, before taking Tyler’s hand. “Come on, we need to get going. Do you want a ride?” She smiled and Tyler nodded. They waved and left, whilst Charlie hugged Alex from behind.

“Sounds like you’ve been thinking about this for a while.” Charlie purred, making Alex shiver a little.

“S-So? It’s just like.....shouldn’t we be thinking about our future too?” Alex turned to face him, putting his hands on his waist, pulling him a little closer.

“I agree. I’ve been thinking as well, would you like to come to Santa Monica with me this weekend? We can get a hotel, go for walks along the beach.” Charlie smiled, placing a kiss on his neck.

“I’d like that.” Alex smiled back and kissed him, feeling Charlie snaking his hands up his t-shirt.

“Mmm....” Alex moaned softly, Charlie gently backing him into the wall. Alex wrapped his arms around his neck and gently slipped his tongue into his mouth, both of them melting into each other. As they kissed, Charlie detached from him. Alex growled slightly, pulling him back. Charlie stopped him.

“Let’s wait until this weekend, hm? I promise it’ll be worth it.” Charlie smirked, whilst Alex sighed.

“Tease.” Alex groaned slightly but the smiled softly, nodding.

_This weekend? Charlie St George, What are you up to?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you feel about Charlie asking Alex's parents for permission? I wrote that because i'm quite old fashioned in that sense, and I asked my partner's parents for permission too, and I thought Charlie would want Alex's parents to like him :)
> 
> I am also so excited to write the next chapter, which will be seaside fun ;) But also, perhaps a double proposal?


	6. Where do we go from here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey y’all! How’s it going? This next chapter is all about Chalex, so I’m going to take the attention off Tystela for now, but I’ll be coming back to them soon! I was considering a doing a little insight into Tony’s wedding as well, let me know if that’s something you’d like. Have fun! <3 😊 Long chapter here too!

With the weekend finally arriving, everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Not that anyone had particularly stressful jobs, but it was nice to have a break. Tyler and Estela had plans to just watch movies with popcorn in the house, whilst Charlie and Alex went away to Santa Monica.

Upstairs, Alex was putting some clothes into a bag. He wasn’t sure what he needed to pack; he couldn’t even remember the last time he went to the beach. Charlie came in, smiling widely.

“Almost ready to go? The car is loaded with anything we’ll need, it’s only an hour drive though.” He said, sitting on the bed. Alex nodded and showed Charlie the contents of his bag.

“Is this enough? I don’t really know what to pack...” Alex looked at him. Charlie nodded.

“Yeah, that’s good. It’s only one night, if you forgot anything you can just borrow some of mine.” Charlie smiled, pulling him into his lap. “Excited?”

“Y-Yeah.” Alex blushed a little, scratching the back of his head lightly. “Did you speak to my parents recently?” Charlie almost jumped out of his skin.

“I spoke to them.....like two weeks ago? Why?” Charlie lied.

“They just said have a nice weekend. I don’t remember telling them we were going away?”

“Maybe they just meant generally? Did they say have fun on the trip?”

“Nah. Anyway, you head to the car. I need to grab something.” Alex said, whilst Charlie took their bags down to the car. Alex went over to the wardrobe and moved some jumpers from the bottom. He pulled out a small velvet box and put it in his pocket. Heading down to car, he passed Tyler and Estela, who were making their breakfast.

“Have fun guys!” Estela waved and Alex waved back, joining Charlie in the car.

“You want me to drive?” Alex asked, putting an extra bag in the boot. Charlie shook his head.

“I got it. Sit back and relax. You’re in good hands.” Charlie smirked, whilst Alex sat next to him and looked out of the window. Charlie started up the car and drove towards their new future.

***

One hour later, and Charlie had driven them to their hotel. It was exceptionally sunny, perfect for a day out. Alex unloaded the bags whilst Charlie picked up their room key. The maids nodded in the hallway as the two of them headed to the room. Charlie opened the door, and Alex put the bags on the bed. He looked around the room.

“Damn. This is really fancy.....you sure you don’t want me to pay some of this?” Alex asked, sitting on the bed. The mattress was bouncier than he’d expected.

“I already told you, it’s my treat.” Charlie sat next to him, hugging him. Alex nestled into him, then jumped slightly when he felt Charlie’s hand move dangerously close to his pocket.

“R-Right! I’m going to get changed, then we can go for a walk, yes?” Alex smiled and got up quickly. Charlie nodded and rummaged through his bag, looking for his own change of clothes. When they’d both changed, Charlie took Alex’s hand and they headed for the pier. Even though it was sunny, Alex wore shorts and a check shirt, not as confident as some people on the beach wearing almost nothing. Charlie had similar denim shorts and a white t-shirt. There was a notable difference in their confidence, but Charlie didn’t mind at all. As they walked along the pier, Alex stopped and leaned by the fence separating them from the sea.

“I can’t even remember the last time I came to the beach. I think I was 10, and my dad yelled at this kid for stealing my ice-cream.” Alex chucked, looking at the beach.

“I thought it would be a nice place to relax. Everything has been so intense recently; training is killing me.” Charlie groaned, whilst Alex rubbed his back.

“Must be hard, being a super-hot, super popular all star athlete.” Alex smirked softly, but his voice was kind. 

“It’s exhausting. But it’s nice to hear you say that.” Charlie smiled, taking both of his hands, and leaning next to him.

“What do you want to do?” Alex asked, looking curiously at him. Charlie kissed him.

“I had some ideas. Come on!” Charlie spent the rest of the morning and afternoon taking Alex around various places around the beach.

Firstly, he took Alex to the largest arcade there. Alex couldn’t help but be reminded of his birthday five years ago, which had ended with Jessica storming out after yelling at him. It was a memory he’d rather forget, but he knew Charlie would replace it with a better one. Charlie walked around with him, then spotted a grabber machine. He looked at Alex.

“I have crazy skills at these. You wanna see?” He asked, whilst Alex chuckled.

“Sure, impress me.” Alex smirked, standing by the machine as Charlie put money in the slot. Within seconds, he’d grabbed a teddy bear, guiding it towards the drop zone. He reached down and pulled the teddy out, smiling.

“Okay that was fast. But is that really a skill?” Alex laughed, crossing his arms.

“I’ll do anything to make you smile.” Charlie said, shrugging. He held the bear out. “For you.” Alex took it and looked at it. It was a small brown bear, holding a heart with the words _I love you_ on it. Alex felt his cheeks heat up a little bit.

“You just won that, so I’d have to say it back.” Alex whined, but he couldn’t stop smiling.

“No, I won it to show that even random teddy bears know what I’m thinking.” Charlie laughed, putting his arm around him. Alex sighed, but he kept hold of the bear. He led Charlie back outside, and they walked together along the beach.

“Do you want an ice-cream? One that a kid won’t steal this time?” Charlie giggled, and Alex nodded. Charlie went away for a moment, then came back holding chocolate cones. He handed one to him, and Alex sat down on the sand, Charlie following him.

“It’s so peaceful here. It just feels like....I don’t know. Like...I can’t explain.” Alex blushed, feeling a little foolish, but Charlie nodded as he ate his ice-cream.

“I love the beach. I haven’t been for a while either. But my mom and dad took me a lot when I was younger.” Charlie smiled. Alex bit his lip.

“Do you miss her?”

“Yeah. But I’m happy, I know she would want me to find happiness. That’s the best way for me to remember her.” He replied.

Alex ate the rest of his ice-cream and laid down on the sand. He leaned on Charlie’s outstretched arm and kissed his cheek.

After all their walking and exploring that morning, the sun began to set. Alex sat up and noticed that everyone was leaving the beach. It was just them and one other couple, who were preoccupied on their phones. A short amount of silence ensued, and Alex eventually broke it.

“Charlie?”

“Mm?” Charlie sounded very relaxed and happy, just laying there in the sand.

“You know how....it’s been like 5 years...”

“Yes?”

“A-And Estela and Tyler are having a kid....and Tony’s engaged....and Clay too actually...” Alex was having trouble speaking, he couldn’t stop stuttering.

“Alex, what are you trying to say?” Charlie sat up, stroking his face for reassurance.

“I-I’ve been thinking about the future.....”

“Yeah, me too. I actually.....I have something I want to say.” Charlie said, taking his hands again.

“Well, so do I. Can I go first?” Alex said quickly, taking his hands away to get to his pocket.

“Mine’s kind of urgent though....”

“Well so is mine! Charlie seriously....” Alex fumbled, and he heard Charlie rummaging behind him.

“Alex, look at me.”

“No! Wait, I have something to say!” Alex managed to get the box out of his pocket, and as he opened it to turn to Charlie, he spoke in unison with him.

“Alex...” Charlie felt as though he was looking in a mirror, as both boys held open ring boxes. 

“Will you marry me?” They said together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will either one of them say yes? I'm not gonna tell you! It's a bit obvious though ;) Next chapter coming when I can finish some Uni stuff again, I'm a bit preoccupied this week but I will be posting when I can!


	7. News travels Fast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! After finishing one of my various assignments, my next one isn’t due for a while, so I’ll still be a bit all over the place with my fics, but I managed to get this chapter done. Writing Chalex after a stressful assignment does help me destress, so I hope you all enjoy this one, fluffy and mature scenes ahead, just a pre-warning! 😊 <3

_“Will you marry me?”_

As both boys asked this question together, neither of them could understand what had just happened for a few seconds. Both of them choosing the moment the sun set to propose on the beach. Charlie, completely oblivious that Alex was planning this, even worried that he might say no to his own proposal. Alex, barely even blinking with astonishment. Still silent, both of them stared into each other’s eyes, the shock not even beginning to wear off. Charlie made the first move, taking Alex’s hand and slipping the ring on his finger. Alex bit his lip and did the same to Charlie’s hand, as they sat there in shock. Even though neither of them had said yes, their silent affirmation was enough to understand that they both wanted it, so much so that their minds had connected in one split second, making them propose at the same time.

“C-Charlie....is this actually happening....like...” Alex eventually managed to speak, but his voice was quiet and dazed.

“Y-Yeah....just so you know....this is not how I planned it.” Charlie giggled, admiring his hand. “But, I sensed you were going to bring up our future so...” His voice trailed off and Alex stopped him.

“This isn’t how you planned it? Are you kidding me? I’m so fucking happy....” Alex smiled widely at him, whilst Charlie grinned back.

“If I’d known you were proposing, I would have let you do it however you wanted. You looked nervous, so I knew something was happening. But this is so much better than anything I could’ve dreamed of.” Charlie pulled him closer, and Alex still looked surprised through his happiness.

“When I met you Charlie, I knew there was something about you. I tried to reject you at first, because I was so fucked up with everything. But you’re so damn persistent. And even after high school and college, I treated you like shit before we moved in together. Do you forgive me, for all the shit that I’ve done? If we’re gonna get married, I want you to know how sorry I am for everything that I’ve done...” Alex sighed, feeling a slight guilt creep over him.

“Alex, hey. Stop. The past is the past, and I don’t blame you for anything you’ve done over the course of our relationship. I know it wasn’t easy for you, and it wasn’t exactly simple for me either. We might fight sometimes and be dicks to each other. But after it all....we want to spend our future together. We’re lucky, some people don’t get to be with the people they love.” Charlie replied softly, still holding Alex in his lap.

“Do you always have to be so wise and perfect...?” Alex smirked a little.

“Would you love me any other way?” Charlie beamed, taking Alex’s face in his hands.

“No...” He whispered back, kissing him very softly. Their hands entwined and they fell back into the sand, Charlie gently falling on top of him. Caressing each other’s hands, their lips never separated. Alex hadn’t shared kisses like this with anyone but Charlie. Charlie had a specific style, a finesse, to his affection. His lips had the power to ease worry and doubt, but also set Alex’s senses on fire. His body ached with the sensation, and he let out a soft moan as his lips separated from Charlie’s.

“Maybe we should continue this back at the hotel...” Charlie uttered softly, mouthing gently down Alex’s neck. Alex nodded, almost too eagerly. Linking hands once again, they headed back to the hotel, both of them with a spring in their steps.

As they got through the door, it was only a few seconds before the two boys were kissing again, Alex kicking the door behind them. They laid on the bed in each other’s arms, both of them fighting for dominance.

“Alex..” Charlie spoke softly against his ear, smiling when he felt the hairs on Alex’s neck stand up.

“H-Hm...you’re not getting me that easily...” Alex mumbled, groaning when he felt Charlie kissing along his shoulder. Whenever Charlie breathed against his skin, the warmth drove him crazy.

“Aaaalex...” he purred again, dragging his lips slowly over Alex’s neck, down to his throat. He nibbled the sensitive skin there, gaining a louder moan. Charlie knew exactly where Alex was weak, after five years he liked to think he knew exactly how to drive Alex insane. It was working, until Alex pulled his head back up to kiss him. The power struggle between them almost always ended up with Alex winning. Alex slipped his tongue against Charlie’s, his actions slightly more heated. After being teased so much, Alex’s lust got the better of him. Neither of them paid attention to anything but each other’s embrace, and their clothes were lost in a rush of passion and excitement. Both Alex and Charlie gave into desire, the night turning into a passionate haze. Each of them made love to the other, whilst time seemed to slowly ebb away as they shared in this moment unlike any other.

Exhausted, the two of them collapsed on the bed and smiled at each other, knowing they’d never make love like that again. Their sex life had always been good, but this time they didn’t have to worry about anyone hearing, like Tyler and Estela often did. The prospect of marriage had also ignited a new beginning, and both boys couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

As Charlie slept, Alex rolled on his side and stroked his hair. It was messy from their previous actions, and Alex smiled softly. A new sensation still swept over him, maybe it was a protective urge, maybe it was a sexual one. But he knew that it was definitely happiness, without fear for the future. They had a plan now, and Alex would be damned if he didn’t follow it through. Leaning back on his pillow, still with his hand through Charlie’s hair, he picked up his phone. There were a few messages, but he read Estela’s first.

_Hey Alex! I hope you don’t mind, Ty and I finished off the last of the popcorn. I’ll buy more tomorrow before you guys get home. How’s the beach? We miss you! X- Estela_

Alex called her and put the phone to his ear.

“Hey. Sorry, I know it’s late, but I thought I’d call. You guys trashed the house yet?” Alex said quietly, not wanting to wake Charlie but knowing he’d probably sleep through anything.

“Hi Alex! No, of course not, rude! I’ve eaten like everything though....cravings.” She giggled. “How are you two? Did you have a late night, it’s like 3AM.”

“Oh shit, sorry. I wasn’t really watching the time. Charlie and I.....we’re engaged...” He smiled to himself, hearing Estela squeal on the end of the phone.

“Finally! I wondered when Charlie was going to ask you...”

“You knew?”

“Yeah....sorry. Please don’t be mad! I told him about the baby, and he told me he was going to propose.” She said, sighing softly.

“W-Well the thing is...I kinda proposed to him as well.....like....we did it at the same time..” Alex chuckled lightly when he heard Estela squeal again.

“You guys are too fucking cute. I don’t doubt you were up all night, showing your love?” Estela giggled, whilst Alex blushed, not that she could see.

“Anyway, you should get some sleep. It’s so late, and we’ll see you soon anyway. Bye!” Estela’s voice radiated through the phone, and Alex said goodbye before hanging up. He snuggled back up to Charlie, using his chest as a pillow.

_When we get home, I wouldn’t be surprised if Estela has invited the whole neighbourhood to say congratulations._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't focus like entirely on the love scene because I'm not that great at writing them, and I try to make my work more cute than anything really! But I hope you liked it!


	8. Tony and Caleb's Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greetings you lovely people! I’m back again, I was planning this chapter for a while, so I didn’t post for a bit, but after getting some of my Uni stuff done I’m updating my story. I hope you enjoy reading! 😊 And also, this chapter is a bit of everyone's POV, mostly Alex though!

Alex stood in the mirror, struggling to get his tie right. It had been a week since he’d gone to Santa Monica with Charlie, and it still felt surreal to be engaged. When they’d returned home, they had an invitation for Tony and Caleb’s wedding. Now it was the big day, Alex was curious to see what their wedding would be like. It could even provide him with some ideas to plan his own wedding, but he thought Charlie might have some already. As he tugged his tie, he groaned as it fell apart again. Charlie poked his head around the door.

“Hey, you almost ready to go? The wedding starts in half an hour.” He smiled. Alex shook his head.

“I can’t seem to get my tie right...” He sighed, whilst Charlie walked in and started tying it for him.

“There. Perfect.” Charlie smiled again and Alex took his hand.

“Thank you. I still can’t believe Tony is having his wedding in the boxing ring. It’s fitting, what with him being a professional and all. But still.” Alex smirked and Charlie giggled.

“I guess marriage is like a boxing match though. You go in, fighting until the very end. But at the end of it, you get two winners instead of one.” Charlie grinned and Alex laughed.

“You should’ve written their vows. I bet Caleb would’ve liked that line. Anyway should we go?” He nodded and went to the car, Tyler and Estela following and sitting in the back. As Charlie drove them there, Tyler leaned forward to talk to Alex.

“So did Tony choose his best man?”

“Yeah, it’s Clay.”

“I’m glad they are still friends after so long. We all need each other.” Tyler smiled, and Alex returned the favour by patting his hand gently.

“We’ll always be friends, until the end.” Alex smiled, and Charlie parked the car as they reached their destination. As everyone got out, Alex saw some familiar and unfamiliar faces entering the building. Clay and Heidi were arm in arm, smiling brightly. They’d also received an invite for their wedding too, but it wasn’t for a year. He and Charlie hadn’t even thought about dates yet, and nobody apart from their families and housemates knew about the engagement. But being at Tony’s wedding was an opportunity for them to tell people, and to just enjoy themselves.

Entering the building, the former gym had been turned into an intimate wedding venue. It wasn’t a conventional place to get married, but Alex though the environment suited Tony and Caleb perfectly. The punchbags were covered with ribbons, and flowers adorned barbells and various gym equipment. The boxing ring itself had rose petals on the floor and flowers hung on the ropes. Three sides of the ring were roped, but the front ropes had been removed for the boys. There was an aisle and steel steps leading up to the ring. It wasn’t a huge wedding, there was only around 30 seats facing the ring. Sitting in the second row, Alex, Charlie, Estela, and Tyler waited for the wedding to start. Tyler was snapping pictures, Tony didn’t want an official photographer, but he had made an arrangement with Tyler to just take a few pictures to remember the day. He didn’t want the day to be just about photos, he’d rather focus on the party afterwards.

After sitting down for around ten minutes, romantic music started playing. Alex watched Caleb and his friend step into the ring and turn around, awaiting Tony’s arrival. Tony came a minute later, walking down the aisle with his dad. Tony’s entire family was there, and after battling for four years, they had finally got their green cards. Alex smiled softly, thinking that Tony must’ve been over the moon to have his family share his wedding with him. Clay was also waiting in the ring, exchanging happy glances with Heidi every so often, obviously thinking about their future wedding too. As Tony reached the ring, he hugged each of his family members in turn, then walked up the steps to Caleb.

Alex didn’t realize how intently he was staring at the couple, as they said their vows to one another. There were laughs, tears and heartfelt sentiments as Tony and Caleb declared their true love. Squeezing Charlie’s hand, Alex sighed softly to himself. Tony had offered him so much advice over the years, and he knew that he deserved this wedding, with his family and the man that would stand beside him forever. Caleb and Tony neared the end of their vows, and they were declared husband and husband. The audience applauded loudly as the two of them kissed, making their way down the aisle. Everyone threw confetti, and the function room was opened for the reception.

A few hours later, Alex was holding a glass of champagne, standing with Charlie and the new happily married couple.

“Congratulations you guys! I love what you’ve done to the gym.” Charlie chuckled, and Tony clinked his glass against his.

“Thanks man. It was mostly Caleb’s idea.” Tony smiled.

“Yeah, but you loved it! Anyway, thanks for coming! We were really happy with the turnout, only a few people couldn’t make it.” Caleb beamed, also clinking his glass with Alex’s.

“I feel so old now....we’re a married couple.” Tony whined, but smiled.

“At least high school is over. Can’t say that I missed it.” Caleb said, taking a sip of his drink. He looked at Charlie and Alex.

“I may have been entranced with my gorgeous new husband here but uh... I noticed something when we came back down that aisle.” Caleb laughed, whilst the other’s looked at him, confused. Caleb took their hands, showing Tony their engagement rings.

“No fucking way. Alex you lied to me.” Tony grinned.

“What the fuck? No I didn’t! It happened like a week ago...” Alex blushed lightly. Charlie smiled widely and wrapped his arm around him.

“Ah don’t tease them Tony. I’m really happy for you two, marriage is an amazing thing.” Caleb smiled and held Tony close. Alex blushed again but snuggled under Charlie’s arm. Tyler and Estela came over to join them.

“Congrats guys! That was so sweet, especially that bit in your vows about true love happening in unlikely places.” Estela smiled, whilst Caleb looked at the bar.

“Do you want some champagne Estela? Didn’t they give you a glass?” He asked, whilst she and Tyler smirked.

“Actually....they did offer me one but I’m not drinking....” She twirled her hair and looked suggestively.

“Oh! You’re not...? We should be saying congratulations to you guys!” Tony chuckled and patted Tyler’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you man. You’ve made so much progress, I’m proud of you.”

Tyler smiled back and gave him a hug, taking Estela’s hand.

“I got some great photos for you Tony. I’ll send them to you as possible.” He said, watching as everyone started making their way to the dance floor. The DJ had started the music for the evening reception, and the guests were waiting for the first dance to start. Caleb tugged Tony’s arm and they waved at their friends, heading to the floor to begin the dance. Tony grizzled slightly but went with him, not wanting to break the tradition. As they danced, Alex rested his head on Charlie’s shoulder as they watched. Charlie stroked his back.

“Hey Charlie?”

“Mm?”

“C-Can we start wedding planning soon....” He whispered quietly, understanding how Tony was jealous of the two of them at senior prom, years ago. It was mostly excitement though, seeing Caleb and Tony’s love made him want to start planning sooner rather than later. Charlie flashed Alex a dazzling smile and nodded.

“Of course. I thought you’d never ask.” He kissed his forehead, and Alex squeezed his hand. When Tony and Caleb finished their first dance, everyone joined them on the dance floor. The night turned into a blur of colours and music, everyone dancing without a care in the world. A moment of pure love for Tony and Caleb, and a peaceful moment for Charlie and Alex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed writing about Tony's wedding, especially from Alex's view. I want to write a Chalex wedding, but it will be extremely long if I do! Any ideas about where they'd get married or any marriage ideas please let me know! :)


	9. Keep it Moving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I have done a time lapse here, because I want to do some cute planning times between both couples! This is one conversation which is set 5 months ahead when Estela is halfway through her pregnancy! Next chapter will Alex and Charlie wedding planning! Have fun reading! Short chapter here, and long chapter next time. Feedback and kudos are always appreciated, much love to everyone! 😊

Sprawled across the sofa, Estela laid on her back, a large bag of popcorn in one hand and a jar of mustard in the other. She was dipping the popcorn in the mustard whilst watching a romantic movie. Having the house to herself, she ate the weirdest food because nobody could judge her. She was now sporting a medium sized bump, five months into her pregnancy. Although she’d been offered to know the sex of her baby, she’d denied. She wanted a surprise, and Tyler didn’t mind either way. As she stroked her stomach, the couple on her movie went through a messy break-up and Estela sighed.

“Oh my god, get over it! He cheated on you! Ugh!” she shouted at the screen, hearing the front door shut as someone came home. She knew that only one person in the house would be back that afternoon.

“Who cheated on who?” Alex walked in, perching on the side of the sofa, shuddering at Estela’s snacks.

“That guy Martin cheated on Jacqueline. She should just leave him, like they’ve already broken up twice.” She sighed and Alex giggled.

“You do know it’s just a movie right? I mean, I agree with you that cheating is bad. But maybe, don’t take it so seriously?” He threw a bit of popcorn at her and she caught it.

“Hormones Alex! Everything makes me angry or sad now, like really badly. And my back aches soooo much. And I’m so fucking hungry, ALL THE DAMN TIME!” She ate more popcorn and mustard, making Alex sigh.

“Well, you’ll be happy to hear that Charlie and I have found a new place to live. So we’ll be out of here soon. I know Tyler’s dying to make a nursery.” He smiled, and Estela pulled him into a hug.

“I will miss you both. Not your bedroom noises, but your cuteness in the mornings, and the fun we all had. Promise me you’ll visit?” She let Alex get up, and he nodded.

“Of course we’ll visit. Charlie’s excited about the baby as well. I feel like maybe you and Tyler should let him stay living here and make a poly-amorous family.” Alex smirked, and Estela tilted her head.

“Well.....haven’t you thought about having your own kids?” She asked, almost bursting into laughter at Alex’s shocked face.

“Estela! We already have wedding plans. One thing at a time.” He smiled softly, but that got him thinking again.

“If you ever need a surrogate, let me know. But give me like three years after I’ve had this baby, I need time to adjust.” She chuckled. “You would have the most beautiful kids though. Little brunettes or little blondes running around the garden with little noses.” She smiled softly, rubbing her stomach again.

“How far along are you now?” Alex asked.

“Just over 21 weeks. I feel like it might be a girl, but that’s just my gut instinct. I might be completely wrong.” She shrugged, propping up against the cushions.

“Tyler is going to make an amazing dad. I haven’t seen him this excited for a while.” Alex smiled.

“Yeah, I’m so proud of him for his progress. I know that’s mostly down to you, Tony, and Clay. So thank you for that. Thank you Alex.” She grinned and he nodded, folding his arms across his chest.

“Estela?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think Charlie is thinking about kids? I don’t know if I’m ready for that...” He said nervously.

“Well, like you said, you have a wedding to think about. So maybe just wait a few years. It’s not like you’re running out of time, you’re both still young. But he will definitely want kids, he’s such a softie. He’ll be that dad that runs around the park with a toddler on his shoulders playing helicopter. Then he’ll pick up another kid that’s trying to eat a flower, but instead of shouting at him, he’ll just gently warn him to stop. Oh and don’t forget the dog.” Estela laughed, but patted Alex’s shoulder reassuringly.

“Don’t worry though. That doesn’t have to happen for years yet. Just enjoy your life Alex, it’ll be okay.” She smiled, and Alex nodded.

“Thanks.” Alex chuckled slightly, then walked to the kitchen to get a drink. His thoughts pestered him all the way there.

_Would Charlie really act like that? Would he walk around with a kid on his shoulders and run around like crazy? Would he ever shout at his kids, or just gently guide them with kind words? Is he even capable of being angry? He’d be a great dad.....n-not that it matters!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was fluffier than I was anticipating, and I think I might be getting ahead of myself! But I can't stop imagining Charlie as a dad, he'd be so adorable. But I might settle for a scene with him playing with Estela's kid, but let me know if you think I should do a few years time lapse and make married Chalex adopt! Thanks! :)


	10. Feeling Overwhelmed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Afternoon all! I have been thinking about how many chapters to make this thing, and I can say it will be shorter than 20 but I really can’t figure out when to do the wedding! It might be in 2 or 3 chapters, but I need like a week to plan it if I’m going to do it justice! And I need to decide how many more time lapses I’ll be doing, so please bear with me! You’re all so amazing, so I don’t want to prolong the wedding, but I want to make it perfect! Love to you all, again everything I receive makes me so happy! 😊

After Alex’s conversation with Estela, he sat in the kitchen drinking a glass of water. He watched the clock, waiting for Charlie to return. He knew he finished work in the evening, but he wasn’t sure whether he’d be hanging out with his friends after or coming straight home. Although he didn’t’ mind either way, he had some important things to discuss with him. Spending five years together, not a lot had happened. They’d moved in with their best friends, started new jobs and spent a great deal of time with each other’s families. But Alex couldn’t recall a time he’d thought so much about the future. A wedding and maybe even children. The prospect was terrifying, he didn’t doubt that. But recently he couldn’t stop himself thinking about every single detail, down to what he’d make his kids for breakfast in the morning. Maybe it was finally understanding how to be an adult, although he wasn’t sure about that either. Or maybe it was seeing what five years had done to Charlie, making an already handsome boy turn into a kind, gorgeous future husband. Sipping his drink, he was knocked out of his mind as he saw Charlie come into the kitchen.

“Hi!” Charlie smiled, sitting down beside him. Alex looked up, forgetting to speak. Charlie’s hair was messy, and water ran down his face. His hair was damp with rain, and his clothes splattered droplets everywhere. Alex sighed softly, getting up and grabbing a towel.

“Here. You’re soaked. Why didn’t you take an umbrella?” Alex rubbed the towel on Charlie’s head, and Charlie smirked softly.

“Sorry. I forgot, I was in a rush this morning anyway, and the rain took me by surprise. How was work?” Charlie purred softly as Alex dried him.

“Good. I think I’m making progress, but I can’t be sure. How about you?”

“Yeah good, but I got hit pretty bad. I’ll survive.” He shrugged and Alex sighed deeply.

“Where did you get hit?” He asked, whilst Charlie started taking off his wet clothes. He sat on the chair in his boxers and pointed at his shin. He had his usual bruises from the game, but his shin was bleeding.

“Fuck sake Charlie! That’s really deep.” He went to the kitchen shelves and got the first aid box. He took out the antiseptic and dabbed it on a cloth, before going over to Charlie’s leg and gently pressing it on his shin. Charlie winced slightly but didn’t complain. Instead he stroked Alex’s hair, just quietly watching him. Alex felt Charlie’s eyes lingering and looked up at him.

“What are you looking at?” He said, unravelling a bandage.

“Just you. You always take care of me. Thank you.” Charlie whispered, the deepness and sweet sincerity in his voice making Alex bite his lip.

“Y-You’re welcome....” He wrapped the bandage around his shin and sealed it tightly. When he turned to throw the towel in the sink, he was grabbed from behind by muscular arms.

“I missed you today...” He kissed his ear, then lightly down his neck. Alex felt a familiar sensation in his stomach, then shook his head. He whipped around and pushed Charlie back, surprising him a little.

“Hey! No distractions. I wanted to talk to you, we’ve got some things to discuss.” Alex said assertively, making Charlie smile softly and sit back down.

“Okay! I’m sorry, I just got overwhelmed with my love for you. What did you want to talk about?” Alex joined him at the table, taking his hands.

“We have to talk about the wedding. I want to do it before Estela has her baby, we are moving out in a month after all. We have four months to plan this, is that enough time?”

“Yeah, we can work with that. I can take the reins on the planning if you like?” Charlie suggested.

“No! No, I want to do this with you. We proposed together, so I want to plan together. I think we should book some stuff, like florists, then go and look at some venues? Which first?” Alex started writing items down, and Charlie stared at him again. His face was soft, and his eyes were trained on Alex’s movements. Alex finished writing, then caught his eyes.

“Why are you looking at me again? We have so much to do, give me a hand!” He blushed as Charlie stroked his face.

“You’re so fucking cute. I love how excited you are for this.” He smiled softly, and Alex slapped his hand away.

“Aren’t you? There’s no time for cuteness now, we need to start planning!” Alex replied, moving the paper to Charlie. Charlie chuckled and pulled Alex into his lap.

“Of course I’m excited. I can’t help loving you, especially when you’re so insistent for me to help. I will help, but you have to kiss me first.” He smirked. Alex shook his head and sighed again.

“You’re not giving up are you? If I kiss you, will you please help me and make some arrangements?” He asked, earning a nod from Charlie. Rolling his eyes a little, Alex leaned forward and kissed him. They stayed entwined for a little while, Charlie deepening the kiss a little, but before he could do anything Alex pushed him away.

“That’s all you get. Now, if you don’t get a move on I wont even kiss you until the wedding, let alone go any further!” Alex said strictly, standing up.

“Yes, sir.” Charlie giggled and started looking over the paper, reading everything that Alex had recommended. Alex started making some dinner as Charlie made various calls.

***

“Okay, so that’s 2pm tomorrow? Excellent, thank you very much ma’am!” Charlie said, hanging up and putting his phone on the table. Alex brought their dinner over and sat opposite him. An hour had passed, and Charlie had rang ten different wedding companies. He’d put on clean clothes and dried off from the rain. His leg also felt better, the healing process sped up by Alex’s intervention.

“Any luck?” Alex asked, beginning his meal.

“Yep! I made lots of bookings, the first one is tomorrow at 2pm with a lady called Maria. She owns loads of hotels around California, so I thought a tour might be good. I don’t know if you like that as venue but...I’ve never really been religious. So I thought a church might be too traditional?” Charlie said, picking up his fork. Alex thought quietly to himself, then nodded.

“Yeah, that sounds nice. I’m not religious either. So is she giving us a tour of all her hotels?”

“Well, she owns over 200 hotels. She’s only showing us 20 of them, and they are all in a mile radius of each other. She said the tour usually lasts around 3 hours. Is that alright?”

“Mm! Did you book anything else?”

“Yeah, I’ll write the other dates down for the others. I think I should buy an organiser, just to keep everything together.” He smiled, twirling pasta around his fork. Alex nodded again, biting his lip.

“Are you sure we’ll manage to get everything done? It’s overwhelming........” He sighed but was met with a reassuring gaze.

“Of course! Alex listen to me. I could marry you in this house, with just Tyler and Estela as witnesses and still be the happiest man in the world. But, I think our parents would prefer a big wedding. I promise you; everything will be perfect.” He smiled and reached for his hand, his fingers grasping Alex’s.

“I love you Charlie.....and you’re right. I don’t care where I marry you, just as long as I do. I do.” He smiled up at him. Charlie’s smile grew larger, and he squeezed his hand.

“I do too.” They both chucked lightly, knowing they’d be saying those words sooner rather than later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay folks, now i'm so stuck. Where should they get married? What kind of flowers?! I'm feeling like Alex now haha, but seriously please do give me some wedding advice!


	11. Final Touches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonjour loyal readers! I’m back again, but this chapter will be the last filler before the actual wedding, so chapter 12 will be the big day! I’m going to probably end this at around 15 chapters, just because after the big day I wanna write the honeymoon and Estela’s baby being born. So chapter 12, 13 and 14 will require lots of planning and will be really long! This chapter now is short in comparison and will just be Alex and Charlie finalising some stuff, sending invites out and the like. Please enjoy reading this one, for some last minute touches before the big day, and last minute fluff! Also this chapter won’t include massive amounts of detail about the wedding, because the actual chapter will include this! Love to you all! 😊

After planning their wedding for almost a month, Alex and Charlie had managed to get almost everything in order. They’d chosen a venue, which was possibly the hardest decision. It was a quiet little hotel, a somewhat intimate and private ceremony and counted the number of guests they would invite. It totally up to 50, which was perfect for the small venue. The hotel owner Maria was very helpful and made many suggestions in order to help them decide. The flowers, decorations and overall style had been sorted too, with wedding organizers decorating the room before the big day. Even the cake had been chosen, with the two of them deciding to go for a minimalist 6 tier white one, with cookies being included on the buffet menu at the reception. The only part that the boys hadn’t decided on together, was the honeymoon. Whilst Alex begged Charlie to let him help with it, Charlie refused. He had a surprise booked, and no matter how much Alex asked, he’d never reveal it. It was the only part that Charlie could hide, he wanted to show Alex how much he loved him by making it the most romantic week of his life.

Before the wedding, Alex and Charlie had found a new apartment to move into, to give Estela and Tyler more space for the baby. It had taken a little while to settle into their new place, and Alex missed his friends, but he knew he’d be seeing them all the time. It was a very stylish and modern apartment, perfect for a married couple to live in. Both Alex and Charlie had spent weeks making the apartment their own, as well as planning the wedding. It was tiring for them, but they knew it would be worth it in the end. When they had finished all the planning, their friends had organised a bachelor party for the two of them.

***

Alex sat on the bed, tapping his leg nervously. The night before the big day had finally arrived, and he was staying in a different hotel with Tyler and Estela, to honour the tradition of not seeing Charlie on the morning of the wedding. Even though he thought that was silly, he was willing to do it. But he was nervous, he hadn’t slept without Charlie for a long while, and he’d miss feeling safe and secure. Picking up his overnight bag, Charlie came into the bedroom. Charlie was just staying there for the night, after he’d had a few drinks with his friends from work, and some old football friends. He saw Alex’s worried face and gave him a hug.

“Hey. It’s only one night. We’ll be together again tomorrow. I mean....we’ll be married tomorrow.” Charlie smiled softly, giving him a gentle kiss. Alex held onto him tightly.

“If I can’t sleep tonight....can I call you?” He whispered, sounding sad.

“Yes. I don’t care how late it is. I’ll pick up.” He smiled softly and nuzzled him. Alex nodded, feeling a bit better.

“Are you having that bachelor party with Tyler and the others tonight?” Charlie asked, running his hand through his hair.

“Yeah. I don’t want like a proper party though....I want to turn in early. I’m nervous enough as it is.” Alex looked up at him and saw a familiar nervousness in Charlie’s eyes.

“Me too. But we’re gonna be okay. Just remember that I love you.”

“I love you too. S-See you tomorrow.” Alex kissed his cheek then made his way to the hotel. It was within walking distance, and he was being driven to the wedding tomorrow anyway, so he left his car.

That night, Alex, Tyler, Clay, Tony, Zach, and Caleb sat in the bar of the hotel, with various drinks in front of them. Alex was only drinking weak alcohol; he couldn’t stop thinking about tomorrow. The other’s smiled at him, offering congratulations and advice, that he didn’t really listen to.

“You know Jessica is going to embarrass you with her speech tomorrow.” Zach said, drinking what smelt like neat vodka.

“Yeah...but at least it’s because she loves him to bits.” Clay said, taking a swig of beer. Whilst everyone chatted, Tyler noticed that Alex was unusually quiet. He had a look of utter sadness on his face, and when he left the bachelor party early, Tyler followed and found Alex crying in his hotel room.

“Alex? Hey. What’s wrong?” Tyler asked, sitting beside him. Alex wiped his eyes; he was panting lightly.

“I can’t....I can’t stop thinking about...” He gulped and Tyler raised an eyebrow.

“Do you not want to get married?”

“No! I mean yes! I do want to get married but....do I really deserve this? I’m a murderer.....and if I hadn’t killed Bryce then maybe he’d have changed....maybe he could’ve got married.....” He trailed off, and Tyler frowned.

“Alex, stop. Bryce did not deserve to get married. He fucked up everything in his life, he hurt so many people. If he got married and lived happily after ever, then every girl he ever wronged would never be able to recover.” He said, but Alex still shook his head.

“Jess recovered. I know it took her a while....but I know she didn’t want him dead either....I ruined his life...”

“ALEX!” Tyler shouted, making Alex jump.

“Stop with this bullshit! Bryce hurt Hannah, Jessica, and dozens of other girls. Do you honestly think he would leave you alone if you let him live? Maybe he wouldn’t hurt you directly, but he’d get to the people you love. Hell, he’d go after Charlie next. Or what about Monty? If Monty was alive, you know what he’s capable of.” Tyler looked down slightly, feeling bad for shouting. It had been 5 years since he’d thought about Monty, even said his name. But the thing was, saying his name didn’t bring the same pain it did years ago. Alex wiped a tear away and put his arms around Tyler.

“I’m so sorry Tyler. I didn’t even think of it like that.....they didn’t deserve to die. But they didn’t deserve a happy life either.” Alex said, and Tyler nodded, putting his arms around him in agreement.

“Alex, the best thing you can do for Bryce, is to move on. He doesn’t deserve your tears. Don’t let him ruin this for you. Charlie adores you, and I think you adore him too. Focus on him, don’t think about the past. Those wounds need to heal. Let them.” He looked Alex in the eyes and smiled softly, whilst Alex sighed softly.

“I think its just....nerves. Thank you though. I will try to move on....but it’s hard.”

“Maybe speak to Charlie if you’re still struggling. But tomorrow, you’ll be so happy that you won’t be able to think about anything else. I promise.” Tyler patted his shoulders.

“I’m going to go to bed and check on Estela. She was feeling a bit rough. You gonna be okay?” He asked.

“Yeah. I’m going to get some sleep, so I can be in the right mind tomorrow. Thanks again Ty.” Alex smiled, and Tyler nodded before leaving the room.

Stripping down to his boxers, Alex crawled into the cold, unfamiliar hotel bed. It was already bad without Charlie there, but he had a goal now. As he shut his eyes to go to sleep, the image of Bryce faded into the distance and was replaced with a brighter, beaming figure.

_Sleep well Alex, I love you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this chapter speaks for itself hehe, I made the day of the wedding random btw lol I might be able to post it sooner than the invite date! :)


	12. The Big Day- Part 1 The Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, hello there dear reader! We’ve reached the big day, and let me tell you, this took me so long to plan and write! For those of you who have been reading, I know you’ll be excited for this! For those of you who have only just started reading, please enjoy! I tried really hard with this, and I’m making it a 3-4 parter because otherwise it would be a ridiculously long chapter. The wedding night in the third or fourth part will also include mature scenes, pre-warning for you! Enjoy! Oh and last thing, I realised the time on the invite I made is also wrong, the wedding is at 12pm not 6:30pm 😊

“Alex! Alex wake up!” Estela ran into Alex’s room the next morning, jumping on the bed. Tyler followed, dragging her down off the bed with a sigh. Alex woke up, startled. He’d been having a nice dream before Estela gave him a heart attack by jumping all over him.

“What’s up? Why are you screaming about so early...” He groaned sleepily, hugging his pillow. Tyler chuckled lightly.

“The wedding, maybe?” Tyler suggested, pushing Estela back to her room, even though she was protesting she understood and ran back to get changed. Alex shut his eyes and tried to get back to sleep, but Tyler pulled the sheet away.

“H-Hey! Can’t I sleep a bit longer...It’s only 8...” He sighed, but Tyler shook his head.

“Nope. As your best man, I’m not letting you laze around all morning. Anyway, your parents are downstairs waiting to see you.”

“Already?” Alex groaned loudly, swinging his legs over the mattress, and stretching. He grabbed a t-shirt and jeans, dressing quickly before looking at Tyler.

“Ty? I just wanted to say thanks again for last night. I was feeling nervous and overwhelmed. But you are right, today isn’t about anything but Charlie and I.” He smiled softly, and Tyler patted his back.

“Go on, go have your breakfast. I’ll start some preparations, the hotel called me. They need some help setting up. I’ll be back at 11:30 to pick you and Estela up.” Tyler grinned and gave Alex a quick hug, before grabbing a bag and leaving for the hotel. Alex went down to the lobby of the hotel and was greeted by his parents and brother.

“Alex! Oh honey, I can’t believe today is the day! What happened to my little boy?” Carolyn beamed, hugging him tightly. Her hug was enough to suffocate him, but he understand that she was excited.

“Mom! Stop!” Alex struggled and she finally released him, making Bill and Peter laugh.

“She is right though. My little baby brother, finally all grown up. And it helps that you’re marrying one of the coolest athletes in California.” Peter giggled, whilst Bill shook his head. Alex rolled his eyes.

“Right you guys, stop teasing him. Let’s go and eat, we’ve got some stuff to sort before we head out later.” Bill took them over to their table, which was already adorned with every breakfast food that existed. Alex felt a knot in his stomach and could only nibble the edge of a slice of toast. As he drank some orange juice, Bill looked at him.

“Hey buddy. I remember the morning of my wedding; I was shit scared too. But you’re going to be fine.” Bill smiled, pushing food towards Alex to try and encourage him to eat.

“Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“How did you know....that mom was the one? Like.....how did you know you wanted to spend your whole life with her and have kids?” Alex whispered nervously.

“Well, I didn’t know that straight away. Actually, your mom rejected me at first.” Bill giggled, and Carolyn hit his arm.

“I did not reject you! I didn’t know your father liked me back then. It was high school; I didn’t know that he had a crush on me. But when started dating, I couldn’t imagine life without him.”

“I didn’t know you knew each other in high school?” Peter said, looking at Alex with his eyebrows raised.

“Yes, we did. It was harder when left actually, our shifts made it so hard to spend time together. But we tried to grab every opportunity that we could. And look where we are now.” Bill smiled, and Alex smiled softly at them.

“You guys are gross.” Peter laughed and looked at Alex. “Promise me you won’t go all mushy and gooey eyed over Charlie when we visit you?” He smirked, and Alex smirked back at him.

“Nah. I won’t, but I can’t say the same for him.” Alex replied, managing to eat a little more. Seeing his parents married and happy after so many years eased his nerves, and loosened the knot in his stomach, allowing food consumption. After the four of them had chatted more and finished their breakfast, the time seemed to be moving faster than any of them anticipated. The clock chimed at 10am, and Carolyn put her hands together.

“Right! We need to get moving! Bill, go and help Peter with his suit would you? He’s a nightmare. Alex sweetheart, I’ll come with you.” The four of them nodded and went their separate ways, with Carolyn following Alex to his room. As Alex went over to the wardrobe to get his suit, he saw his phone buzzing on the side.

“One second mom.” He smiled at her then went to get his phone. Caleb’s name flashed on the screen. Strange. He answered, and before he could speak he felt the knot in his stomach return.

“Alex? Is that you? I called twice already....you need to come over here.” Caleb’s voice was wavering.

“Huh? Come over where? Caleb what’s going on?” Alex asked, his body filling with dread.

“It’s Charlie. I’m at your apartment, like we arranged. I was gonna help him get ready for later....but he’s gone all weird. He got a phone call earlier, and I’m not sure who it was from. But he was fine before that. Could you just come and help?” He asked, the urgency of the situation hitting Alex in the face.

“Sure, I’ll be right over.” He hung up and turned to Carolyn. “Mom, I’ve gotta go and deal with something. I promise I’ll be back before 11, trust me.” He kissed her on the cheek as she nodded but didn’t fully understand the situation. Alex ran out of the hotel, jumping into his car and driving towards home. It was only a 20 minute drive, but he wanted to get home as soon as he possibly could. As he arrived at the apartment, he saw Caleb sitting outside on the wall, looking around. He ran up to him.

“Caleb?”

“Alex! Thank god. He’s inside. He told me he needed space. But I thought maybe he’d talk to you. I know it’s bad luck and everything but fuck it.” Caleb said, and Alex nodded, patting his shoulder as he went inside. He saw Charlie sitting on the sofa, his head down and shoulders slumped. Alex bit his lip worriedly and sat beside him.

“Charlie?” He said softly, startling Charlie.

“A-Alex? You’re not supposed to be here! Why aren’t you getting ready?” Charlie was extremely surprised, but the sadness in his eyes didn’t fade.

“It doesn’t matter about that stupid fucking tradition of not seeing each other before the wedding. Caleb called me, he said you were acting weird. What’s wrong?” Alex edged closer to him, but Charlie looked away.

“I-It’s nothing. I just....” He sighed sadly, feeling Alex’s hand gently rub his shoulder.

“Do you want to cancel the wedding?” Alex felt his heart drop even saying that, but he had to understand what was going through Charlie’s head. Charlie gripped his hand.

“NO! No fucking way. I want to marry you, more than anything in the world. I thought you didn’t want to...”

“Why?!”

“I got this phone call earlier......they didn’t leave their name. But they said.....they said, he’s not going to turn up. He’s going to leave you at the altar and come running back to me. He loves me, not you.” Charlie sighed deeply, running his hands through his hair. “It sounded kinda like Winston...”

“Winston?” Alex almost didn’t recognise the name, before the realisation set in.

“Oh....shit. Charlie....you didn’t actually believe that?” Alex said softly, resting his head gently on his shoulder.

“I-I was already nervous today....hearing that made things just.....I just felt sad...” Charlie looked at him and was met with a kind gaze.

“I’m nervous too. This morning, I could barely get my legs to move. But hey, Tyler told me something that I think you should hear as well.” He took Charlie’s face in his hands, smiling softly.

“Today is about us. No-one else. We deserve to be happy, after all the fucked up stuff we’ve endured, don’t listen to anyone else. Charlie, you once asked me if I was sad at prom, when we were dancing together. I thought that part of me would always be sad, and that I’d have this hole in my heart forever. That hole was made by Hannah, Jessica, Bryce, Monty, and anyone I’ve ever wronged or been hurt by. But being with you, I finally feel like it’s starting to heal. You’re the one consistently good thing in my life, and it kills me when you’re sad. Just....stay with me. Don’t ever doubt my love.” Alex felt slightly out of breath, admitting so much when he’d kept all this emotion inside. It felt liberating, maybe it was the wedding nerves or maybe it was genuine concern for Charlie. Either way, Charlie threw his arms around him and hugged him tightly, with Alex returning the favour, almost trying to squeeze the doubt out of him.

“Alex, I love you so much. I’m sorry...I’m sorry for giving into stupid thoughts. I know you love me, and I won’t ever doubt it again. I love you.” He turned to look at him, the sadness fading from his eyes and his normal happy demeanour starting to return.

“I know. Now, are we getting married or what?” Alex smiled softly, and Charlie beamed at him.

“Mm! Shit, your mom’s gonna kill me for fucking up your schedule.” Charlie bit his lip and Alex giggled.

“Forget it. I’ll just tell her there was a flower emergency or something. Just call me if you need me okay? Don’t let the sadness get you again, I need you.” Alex squeezed his hands and kissed him. Charlie kissed back, stroking his hair.

“I won’t, I promise. I’ll see you at the hotel.” He walked Alex to the door and smiled softly as Alex went back to get ready. Alex thought to himself on his way back, knowing his mom would be very angry when he returned.

_Charlie makes me so mad sometimes......but I wouldn’t change him for the world._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that chapter hasn't included any of the actual wedding itself yet, but one of my amazing readers asked for a Charlie getting nervous scene, so I wrote that first! I need more time to plan the wedding as its so long, but I thought i'd post this little teaser, to satisfy some fluff lol :) Also, it does make me sad to make Charlie sad, but people do get nervous on their wedding day, especially if someone else interferes. I hope you liked it though!


	13. The Big Day- Part 2 THE WEDDING

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! I’ve been planning every detail of this chapter over the weekend, that’s why I haven’t been updating the story as regularly as I’d like! But never fear, the wedding is here! I hope the wedding morning wasn’t too sad, but nerves are always evident in weddings. And I thought as Charlie is slightly younger, it might be a bit strange to take such a big step forward. But with Alex’s reassurance he’s good now! Please enjoy, this took me a while to write lmao. 
> 
> ALSO also, this chapter is super long! The song I chose for the wedding is all about growth and I think it suits them well, please do listen to it during the aisle scene if you can! :)

“Where on earth have you been Alex?! You do realize you’re getting married in an hour?” Carolyn screeched as Alex came through the hotel door.

“I’m sorry mom! There was....an emergency at the hotel. They mixed up an order and couldn’t get hold of Charlie, so I had to sort it out. I’m back now.” Alex lied, but couldn’t get into the full details of why he was late. His mom gave him a quick hug and got his suit from the wardrobe.

“Right. You need to get dressed quickly. We’re heading over there, is Tyler taking you?” Carolyn asked, sounding slightly rushed.

“Yes mom. I’m all good! You go!” He smiled softly and she nodded, leaving the room in a flash. Alex took off his casual clothes and put his suit on, his hands no longer shaking like they were previously. He was still nervous, but seeing Charlie had actually calmed his nerves slightly, maybe because the over-protectiveness he felt for him destroyed the doubts. As he looked in the mirror, he brushed his hair and straightened his tie. Show time.

Tyler and Estela sat in the front of the car with Alex in the back. Estela was chatting to Tyler as he drove, but Alex wasn’t listening to them. He stared out of the window and sighed softly to himself, taking in the last moments as Alex Standall.

***

It was a summer wedding in the early afternoon. The hotel was beautiful, facing Baker beach in California. Inside, the wedding organisers and Tyler had been working hard. At the end of each seated aisle, white rose bushes had been placed. There were 50 seats in total, and each oak chair was adorned with white ribbon. The altar was in front of open windows, displaying the sand and sparkling sea behind it. Soft white curtains drifted over the windows, providing a light breeze. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the sunlight reflecting different colours around the room. Down the aisle, white flower petals framed the journey, meeting two purple orchids placed next to the alter. Whilst planning, Alex and Charlie had agreed on a minimalistic design, but with romantic textures. Tyler had honoured their wishes, and hoped they’d be impressed. As the time turned to 11:45, guests started making their way into the hall. The attire was semi-formal, and guests were wearing simple suits and summer dresses. As more guests filled in, Mr. and Mrs. Standall handed out programs to everyone. Tyler snapped pictures of everyone, and Estela chatted to people. Bill was smiling widely as he chatted to Charlie’s father.

“They grow up so fast, don’t they?” Bill grinned.

“You’re telling me. I can still remember Charlie falling over and crying over a sprained knee.” Mr. St George laughed, and Bill gently punched his shoulder.

“It’s great to have you in our family, Jack. Please, come out for a drink with us at least once a week?”

“You got it buddy.” Jack and Bill bumped fists, like best friends already.

As the families mingled, Carolyn looked at the orchids by the altar and looked at Tyler.

“Hey Tyler? Do you know why they chose orchids? Alex doesn’t really know that much about flowers, so was its Charlie’s choice?” She asked curiously, and Tyler smiled softly.

“Alex told me it’s Charlie’s mom’s favourite flower. He wanted her to be by his side to share the moment.” He replied, taking a picture of the flowers. Carolyn smiled and wiped a stray tear escaping from her eye.

As the chatter started to cease, all the guests sat down in their seats. The doors closed for guests, and the wedding party started to walk in, one after the other. First it was the bridesmaids. Jessica lead the troop, sporting a deep purple cocktail dress. Her hair was curled into a messy bun, and she held a bouquet of white lilies. As she walked down, she smiled brightly at the guests. Next was Estela, six months pregnant in a light purple summer dress. Even though she was a little warm and flustered, she sauntered down the aisle with a smile, holding the same bouquet as Jessica. As the two of them stood beside the altar, the groomsmen made their way down after them. Tyler went first, even though he was the photographer, Alex wanted three best men. He shared a bond with Tyler, not a blood connection but a fierce friendship. Tyler looked handsome in a black suit, with a red tie. He had his camera around his neck as he walked down, but when he reached the altar he stood in the corner, returning to his photos. He’d still be by Alex’s side, as a photographer and a friend. But Tyler also wanted to be there for Charlie. He was their joint best man, since Charlie meant a great deal to Tyler too. Peter walked down next, smiling widely. His tie was slightly crooked, but he still looked sharp. It was at Alex’s parents’ personal request that Alex make Peter his best man, but Alex also wanted him there. Peter had been his rock through the first months in hospital, helping Alex with everything. Following Peter, Zach made his way after. Although his relationship with Zach had been complicated, the two of them had accepted each other’s relationships now. Zach and Chloe were finally together, and Chloe sat in the audience watching Zach with a smile. Zach wasn’t one to blend in with the others, he jumped down the aisle, whooping and cheering as he reached the altar.

With most of the wedding party almost reaching the altar, some of their friends sat in the front few rows. Tony and Caleb sat holding each other’s hands, whilst Clay and Heidi sat beside them with wide smiles. Ani sat next to Carolyn, feeling slightly out of place. Whilst she hadn’t been friends with the group for long, Alex felt he owed it to her, after all she did help cover up Bryce’s murder. The strangest guest by far, was Olivia Baker. She sat in the third row back, watching everyone with a small smile. She hadn’t been invited intentionally, but the one day she decided to visit California, she had bumped into Alex and Charlie at a restaurant. The wedding had come up, and Alex’s guilt had overwhelmed him. He would’ve invited Hannah if he could, and Justin. But Olivia was the last link left to Hannah, so Alex wanted her there. Just to show her that Liberty High couldn’t ruin everyone’s life. A mercy invite if you will.

The last few groomsmen made their way down the aisle, friends of Charlie’s from the academy, named Brandon and Jake. They were Charlie’s best men, along with Tyler and Estela supporting the both of them. As the clock hit 12 exactly, Charlie stepped out. His father was already waiting in the front seat, right next to the aisle. He wasn’t walking him down the aisle, but he was in the seat closest to the altar, joined by Carolyn.

Charlie made his way down the aisle, various guests smiling and nodding as he passed them. He was wearing a deep purple suit, matching the white and purple colour scheme. His black tie stood out against his white shirt, and he had while lily attached to his suit pocket. His hair was fluffed up, styled into a handsome quaff. Despite his nerves earlier, he walked down the aisle with ease, sporting a large smile. Larger than anyone else’s in the room. When he made it to the end, he stepped up onto the raised platform and smiled at the wedding party, with Jessica and Estela squealing and clutching at each other.

“Isn’t he supposed to be wearing a veil?” Jessica whispered to Estela.

“No! Alex is wearing one!” Estela smirked, and Jessica shook her head.

“Alex would rather walk down this aisle naked, than wear a veil.” Jessica replied, and Estela giggled quietly.

“Well, you haven’t seen what we have planned for the reception.” Estela grinned. Both of them were hushed by a nearby guest, as the Registrar arrived.

With the arrival of the Registrar, he stood at the altar and addressed the audience.

“Can I please ask everyone to stand?” He said, the audience nodding and rising to their feet. It was Alex’s turn now, the last person required to commence the wedding. Instead of a traditional song, Alex and Charlie had picked a personal one to play when Alex walked down the aisle.

The music suddenly started from the speakers, and Tyler readied his camera. We Grow by Elmo played softly, as the doors reopened. Bill stood there, holding Alex’s arm. They started walking down the aisle, both of them smiling.

Alex could barely breathe, as he held onto his dad’s arm. He needed some kind of anchor, something to keep him grounded. Ahead, he could see Charlie standing at the altar. He breathed heavily, biting his lip. The overwhelming feeling of the atmosphere, it was too much. Bill could feel him trembling.

“You okay buddy?” Bill looked at him, walking at a slow pace.

“Y-Yeah. I’m good. I’m really good. Fuck. This is really happening.” Alex blew his fringe up lightly, and Bill grinned.

“Yeah, this is really happening kiddo. Time to go get your man.” He smiled, and Alex giggled lightly. Alex and Bill were dressed similarly, mostly because of the colour scheme, but also because they’d shopped for suits together. Alex looked great in a slighter lighter shade of purple, with a white shirt and black tie. The tie had been worn at Bill’s own wedding, and he passed it on to Alex shortly before they’d left. Alex’s hair was styled in soft brown curls, only brushed by himself. Neither of them wanted a stylist, they felt it unnecessary. As they reached the altar, Bill detached from Alex, placing Alex’s hand in Charlie’s. He patted Charlie on the shoulder with a warm smile and went to take his seat next to Carolyn. Bill and Carolyn both smiled with tears in their eyes.

Alex took both of Charlie’s hands, squeezing tightly. The first time they made contact was holding hands, so Alex found solace, and the anchor he needed in Charlie’s palms. As the music faded out, the Registrar smiled at them and spoke loudly.

“Guests, please be seated. Welcome, family, friends and loved ones. We gather here today to celebrate the wedding of Alexander and Charles. You have come here to share in this formal commitment they make to one another, to offer your love and support to this union, and to allow Alexander and Charles to start their married life together surrounded by the people dearest and most important to them. So welcome to one and all, who have travelled from near and far. We thank you for your presence here today and now ask for your blessing, encouragement, and lifelong support for their decision to be married.” The Registrar started, his voice light and filled with happiness. Alex stared at Charlie, nerves fading but still overwhelmed. Charlie smiled back at him, his gaze was warm and comforting. And the love in his eyes, it was a look that Alex never thought he’d receive from anyone.

“Marriage is perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure of human relationships. Through patience, perseverance, and dedication, you will be rewarded with a lifetime partner. We've now come to the point of your ceremony where you're going to say your vows to one another. Alexander and Charles have written their own vows, and I will now allow them to take over. May I have the rings please?” The Registrar turned to get the rings, then placed the cushion on the altar for the men to retrieve.

Charlie took a deep breath and let go of one of Alex’s hand. He took the ring first and placed it on Alex’s hand. He smiled and stroked his fingers gently.

“I, Charles Hayden Brixton St George, take you, Alexander Dean Standall to be my husband, lifetime partner and best friend. I will work hard, every day, to show you how much I love you. You’re so beautiful......and I fell in love with you the first time I saw you. When you held my hands at Liberty, I let you grip as hard as you needed. I knew then that I couldn’t let you go. I vow to always support you, mentally and physically. When you need a hand to hold, I’ll be your salvation. Together, we’ll conquer the struggles of this world and come out stronger. For better or worse, in sickness and in health. I pledge this to you from the bottom of my heart, for as long as we both shall live.” Charlie finished his vows, blinking a little fast. It was obvious he was trying to hold back tears, but he’d poured his heart out. It felt amazing for him, and the audience sighed softly in happiness.

Even though Alex knew they would write their own vows, he wasn’t expecting to cry when he heard Charlie’s. But cry he did, and whilst he wiped his tears away he beamed back at Charlie’s soft smile. Starting with a slight cough to clear his throat, Alex did the same and placed the remaining ring on Charlie’s finger.

“I, Alexander Dean Standall, take you, Charles Hayden Brixton St George to be my husband, lifetime partner and best friend. I promise to always love, cherish, and adore you. I know things were tough in the beginning, but no matter what, you were always by my side, offering a cookie or a cuddle. I’ll return that favour to you. I vow to honor and respect you for all that you are and will become, taking pride in who we are, both separately and together. Falling in love with you has made me happier than I ever thought possible, and I will give you my love freely and unconditionally. For better or worse, in sickness and in health. I pledge this to you from the bottom of my heart, for as long as we both shall live.” Alex spoke through his tears, setting Charlie off in the process. The tears were those of joy, and a small moment of pure happiness. It didn’t happen often, but the two of them had found peace and love in each other’s vows, their words cementing their union. As they stroked each other’s hands affectionately, the Registrar turned to the audience once more.

“Alexander and Charlie have made their vows to one another, in front of many witnesses. If there any objections, please speak now or forever hold your peace.” He spoke, experiencing a long period of comfortable silence. Alex and Charlie looked at the audience, receiving no ill wishes or objections. Only smiles.

“Well, in that case.” The Registrar looked at Alex and Charlie.

“By the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband! You may kiss each other!” He declared loudly, smiling as he nodded at them.

Charlie gently pulled Alex forward. He rested his forehead on his, smiling at him. Alex looked at him, biting his lip. They pressed forward, kissing lightly at first, before getting lost in each other. Alex held his arms around Charlie’s waist, and Charlie stroked Alex’s face.

The audience erupted into applause and the wedding party whooped and cheered. Bill and Carolyn were wiping their eyes, and Peter was clapping wildly. Jack grinned and also needed a spare tissue. After they’d kissed, Zach and Jessica ran up to them.

“Let’s get this fucking party started!” They cheered together, earning a giggle from Alex and a tut for bad language from the Registrar.

Alex and Charlie walked back down the aisle together, being adorned with confetti as everyone joined them for the reception. Alex felt like he was walking on air, and he squeezed Charlie’s hand.

“I love you, Mr. Standall St George.” Alex chucked softly.

“Back at you, Mr. Standall St George.” Charlie replied, laughing happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing that so much! Jack is Charlie's dad btw I just made up a name for him! Hope you liked it! Reception in next chapter!


	14. The Big Day- Part 3 The Reception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiya lovely readers! Okay, I hope you enjoyed the Chalex wedding! I tried my very best to do it justice! Now we come to another longish chapter, the reception! Will include mushy and sentimental words, along with fun times! After this will be the last part of the wedding, the wedding night. Then it’ll be Estela’s baby being born. I’m not sure whether to make this 15 chapters or longer, because I haven’t decided if Charlie and Alex will adopt yet! Stay tuned 😊

The reception was in the adjoining room to the ceremony. The double doors allowed guests to pile in, but the grooms were first to step inside. The style of the room matched the previous colour scheme and was decorated beautifully. It was darker in this room, as the ceremony had lasted longer, it was now 3pm, but dark curtains had been hung to create an atmosphere. LED lights hung across the ceiling, lighting the room. There were round tables with purple tablecloths and purple ribbons tied to the chairs. New crystal glassware sat on the tables, waiting for the guests. In the middle of the tables were candelabra’s, holding bunches of white roses inside. As everyone followed Alex and Charlie inside, they were greeted with the smell of food. At the front of the room there were various buffet tables. Caterers and Waiters stood there, serving food, and handing out drinks to everyone. Alex and Charlie both took glasses of champagne and clinked them together. Instead of having a formal meal at a top table, they decided to have a buffet and let people eat or dance, there was no particular order in which they had to do so. The last thing they wanted was a strict, formal wedding. Charlie turned to Alex with a smile, taking the opportunity to chat before they were bombarded by their friends and relatives.

“Hey, I just wanted to say thank you for earlier. I had no reason to be nervous.” Charlie sighed softly, sipping his drink. Alex smiled widely at him.

“It’s okay. Did you find out who called you?” Alex asked curiously.

“Nah. It doesn’t matter. You’re the only thing that matters.” Charlie smiled and Alex smiled back, taking his hand again. They only shared a minute of comfortable silence before their parents came over.

“Oh my god, I didn’t know you’d written your own vows!” Carolyn gushed, smothering Alex in a hug. Bill laughed as Alex struggled.

“Yeah, I have to say you both wrote beautiful vows. I never knew you were such a romantic Alex.” Bill smirked and punched his arm. Alex rolled his eyes at both of them but smiled softly.

“Congratulations boys.” Jack smiled and gave them both a hug. Peter joined them, holding four glasses. He gave two to his parents and one to Mr. St George. He sipped his own.

“Alex, I’m so proud of you. You’ve come so far.” Peter said fondly, putting his arms around Alex and Charlie’s shoulders. “And I’m thrilled to have a new brother!” He grinned, making Charlie chuckle. Whilst more of their friends joined them, Alex looked over his shoulder. He saw Olivia baker heading outside, looking as though she was leaving. He detached from Charlie and nodded at the crowd around them.

“Hey, can you guys just give me one second? I need to check on someone, I’ll be back!” Alex ran outside, finding Olivia sitting on the steps, head in her hands.

“Mrs. Baker?” Alex said, approaching her. She jumped a little, then smiled.

“Oh, hello Alex. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to ruin your day with this.” She wiped her eyes. Alex shook his head and sat beside her.

“You’re thinking about Hannah?” He asked, putting his hands on his knees.

“Yes. I’m thrilled for you Alex, and I can see that Charlie is perfect for you. But I can’t help wondering.....if maybe Hannah had found someone kind and caring like that.....she’d still be here.” She thought quietly to herself, making Alex wonder to himself. Charlie had pursued him, even when he tried to push him away. He’d comforted him through panic, fear and worse. Charlie was the kindest and sweetest person, definitely at Liberty, maybe even in the world. He nodded and sighed.

“Mrs. Baker. I can’t say whether Hannah would still be here or not. I also can’t say that if she’d met someone like Charlie, she’d be alive. But what I do know, is that she’s always with you. You told us to live our dreams for Hannah, and that’s why I wanted you here. To prove to you that we can heal. I know it was too late for Hannah, but I was hoping that seeing us move on could give you some closure.” He smiled softly.

“Alex.....you’re probably going to hear this a lot today. But I’m proud of you too, you’ve grown so much since the tapes. Everyone made stupid mistakes back then, but you’re such a good person. It does give me closure, seeing you turn into such a successful and handsome young man.” She finally smiled, standing up.

“Thank you Alex. I’m going to go now, but that was a beautiful wedding. And you’re right, always live your dreams for Hannah.” Olivia smiled and headed to her car. Alex watched her leave, sighing a little. It had been awkward inviting her in the beginning, but he felt fulfilled by giving her some hope. Standing up, he made his way back to the reception. As he got inside, he saw Jessica and Estela trying to put a veil on Charlie’s head.

“What’s going on?” Alex walked up to them and Jessica smirked.

“Nothing! We just thought he’d suit one.....” Jessica said, as Charlie rolled his eyes and put the veil on Estela’s head.

“Shouldn’t Estela be wearing this? You’ll be the next ones married.” Charlie said, whilst Estela smiled, watching Tyler taking pictures.

“I’m just focusing on this first.” Estela patted her stomach, flinching a little as she felt the baby kick her hard. She waved at the other’s and went to attack the buffet.

“So, when’s the first dance?” Jessica asked, looking at the dancefloor. Alex shook his head and sighed.

“Oh god, I forgot about that.” Alex groaned, taking a large gulp of his drink. Charlie smiled and looked at him with big eyes.

“Please? You objected at prom too, but then you enjoyed it. And we’re not even wearing crowns this time.” Charlie pleaded, putting his glass on the table. He stared at Alex for a while, until Alex sighed loudly and smiled.

“Fineee.” Alex put his glass down too, almost being dragged to the dancefloor by Charlie. All their family and friends made a circle around them, and the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful. The first song to play was I Get to Love You, by Ruelle. This wasn’t their choice, but luckily it was slow enough for a first dance. Deliberately, they hadn’t chosen a song because it was a reminded of prom when the song was chosen for them. Alex leaned into Charlie as they danced, and a familiar line rang in his head. He closed his eyes for a moment, the memories of prom flashing in his mind.

_“Are you sad, right now?” Charlie said, holding Alex’s hand and leaning close to his ear._

Charlie had previously said this at prom, and Alex shivered remembering it. But hearing it now, Alex knew his response had changed from five years ago.

“No. For once in my life, I’m not. I don’t think I’m in love with you anymore. I know that I am. You were right about that all along.” Alex whispered back to him, gaining a kiss on his ear.

“I’m always right.” Charlie grinned and spun him around, hugging him tightly when he fell back into his arms. It felt like they’d been dancing for an eternity when their friends and family joined in. Everyone danced without a care in the world, and Alex finally felt like he could breath easily. For the first time in five years, Bryce’s murder wasn’t replaying over and over in his thoughts. It was peaceful, serene, and carefree. When he finally lost the stamina to continue dancing, he sat down and watched everyone.

Tony and Caleb danced well, almost like professionals. Tyler and Estela danced slowly, holding hands and swaying. Clay and Heidi jumped around like crazy, and Zach went around whooping at all the couples. Even Ani found a new dance partner in Peter, potentially blooming a new romance. Alex sighed happily and Jessica sat beside him.

“Hey, I saw you talking to Mrs. Baker earlier. You okay?” She asked.

“Yeah. She was just sad, thinking about Hannah. But I think she left feeling better.” Alex replied, looking at her.

“I miss her too. And Justin. But today really put things into focus for me. I love you Alex, you’re my best friend. I couldn’t be happier for you.” Jessica smiled, giving him a hug.

“I love you too Jess.” He smiled, knowing that Jessica was feeling pained, thinking of Justin.

“I was going to say F.M.L forever but....I don’t think our lives are bad anymore...” Jessica smiled softly, looking into the crowd. Charlie was dancing with the Standall’s, offering a wave as they looked at him.

“Yeah.....but for old times’ sake.” Alex smiled softly and put his hand over Jessica’s. “F.M.L forever.”

“F.M.L forever.” Jessica smiled back, giggling slightly.

***

The afternoon slowly creeped into the evening, and some guests began to leave. Only their close friends and family remained, with Bill and Carolyn hugging Charlie and nodding at everyone.

“I just wanted to say, welcome to the family Charlie. Your father and I are already planning a man’s weekend away.” Bill smiled, and Charlie laughed.

“I’m glad. And thank you so much for having me, it’s amazing.” Charlie smiled, stroking Alex’s back as he nestled into him.

“Welcome to our family too, Alex.” Jack smiled, earning a nod from Alex.

“We’re so proud!” Carolyn kissed both of them on the cheeks and hugged them, whilst Bill patted her on the back.

“Sweetheart, we really ought to be going now. The reception finished an hour ago, and I’m sure these two want some time alone.” Bill smiled, and Alex’s eyes widened at his comment.

“Dad!” Alex complained, whilst his family giggled. All of them hugged each other and said their goodbyes, slowly making their way out of the reception hall. The last two people to leave were Tyler and Estela, who came up to them smiling.

“Thanks for doing the photos Ty.” Alex said, whilst they exchanged hugs.

“You’re welcome. It was so amazing being given the honour. And you two are so cute together. Congratulations!” He beamed, all four of them embraced together.

“We’re going to go to our hotel room. This little one is really kicking tonight.” Estela sighed, detaching from them. Charlie looked at her curiously.

“C-Can I?” He asked, gesturing at her stomach. Estela nodded and smiled, putting Charlie’s hand there. The baby kicked, and Charlie gasped.

“Wow...that’s so cool. I hope you weren’t in pain for the whole wedding though?” Charlie said worriedly.

“No no! Just a little uncomfortable. It’s a little hellraiser, that’s for sure. Hey, we didn’t want to upstage your wedding and all, but Tyler and I have a question for you both.” Estela said, looking at Tyler. Tyler smiled. Alex and Charlie looked at each other, raising their eyebrows.

“Oh?”

“Will you two be the Godparents of the baby?” Estela asked, smiling as the expressions on their faces turned to shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't go into as much description with the reception, because the wedding was the main breadth of this part! I hope you enjoyed the reception though! Next one will include mature scenes!
> 
> Also, this chapter included a lot of throwbacks to Hannah and series 1, so I know many people might think adding Hannah to this was unnecessary, but I think Mrs Baker needed to see some happiness! I hope you dont mind :)


	15. The Wedding Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning/Afternoon to you all! Well it’s early here hehe 😊 I spent a little while working out chapters, finishing other work etc. before I could post this one. This is Chalex’s wedding night, which is relatively short but that’s because I’m awful at love-making scenes and I wanted to write more of the honeymoon, in the next chapter. After that chapter, I’ll be doing Estela’s baby story. I haven’t decided if that’s where I’ll finish this, I might do a new story with Chalex adopting. ANYWAY, enjoy this little chapter, mature scenes, readers be advised!

Hearing Estela’s proposition took both boys by surprise, and neither of them knew how to respond for a few seconds. Even though he wanted to speak, Charlie looked at Alex for guidance. If he allowed him, he’d hug Estela and accept graciously, but he wanted Alex’s opinion. Alex looked at Charlie, seeing the longing and the shine in his eyes. He smiled at Tyler and Estela.

“Of course we will. We’d be delighted.” Alex smirked softly, as Charlie cheered and hugged all of them. He looked so happy, Alex knew he couldn’t say no. Not that he wanted to say no, but he hadn’t realized that Tyler and Estela wanted them as Godparents. It was the first step in seeing what Charlie would be like around children, but Alex knew he’d be over the moon. It made him smile, as Tyler and Estela disconnected from them.

“That’s great! Well, we’ll talk about this another time. You two should really be....heading upstairs.” Estela smirked, dragging Tyler outside.

Alex sighed and smirked, looking at Charlie. The reception was being dismantled around them, the tables were being pushed out and the flowers were being taken down. He leaned on Charlie’s chest, feeling his arms loop around his back.

“I think that went pretty well, don’t you?” Charlie smiled, swaying gently with Alex in his arms. There was no music, but it didn’t matter.

“Mm. But I almost forgot my own name...I haven’t been called Alexander for ages.” Alex giggled against Charlie’s chest.

“Some of my family call me Charles. But yeah, it does feel weird being addressed like that. Unless it’s you.” Charlie smiled, bringing him a little closer. They stepped around the reception hall, just taking in the last few moments before the hall was completely dissembled.

“I feel......weird...” Alex breathed heavily, still buried deep into Charlie’s chest.

“Are you okay?” Charlie’s voice filled with concern, and he stroked his hair.

“Y-Yeah. It feels like.....like life is finally on track. We’re married....and we have Estela’s baby to look forward to. I think....maybe....” He emerged from Charlie’s chest and looked up at him.

“I think maybe......I can finally let go of everything.....I’ve moved on.” Alex smiled widely, pressing a kiss on Charlie’s lips. All the mess, all the cover-ups and failed relationships ebbed away. It was all lost in Charlie’s warm embrace. It had taken five years, but finally everything had fallen into place. Like the last piece of jigsaw, clicking into place and fixing everything. Charlie smiled and held him close, their slow dancing coming to an eventual halt.

“Let’s go to our room. I think they’re finished in here.” Charlie took his hand and lead Alex up to their room. Their room was the fanciest in the hotel, the honeymoon suite. It had a four poster bed inside, overlooking the beach. The organizers had left champagne and strawberries on a tray by the bed, with a note saying congratulations. There was a huge bathroom, similar to a spa facility, with fresh soap and shampoo ready for use. As it was early evening, the sun was just setting over the beach, casting an amber glow into the room. Alex pulled Charlie over to the large windows, sitting down to watch the sunset with him. Charlie loosened his tie and smiled, leaning back.

“This reminds me of when we proposed to each other.” Charlie chuckled, making Alex smile softly.

“I didn’t know you were planning to as well.....did I ruin your big plans?” Alex grinned, sliding into his lap.

“Well, I was going to get a plane to fly by, saying will you marry me, but I know you hate big gestures like that.” Charlie laughed, pulling him closer by his tie.

“I don’t....hate them. It’s just that....well....I’ve never been chased before. I’ve never really been anyone’s first choice. Jessica always wanted Justin, Zach never liked me romantically, Winston was just trying to find out information about Bryce...” Alex trailed off before Charlie stopped him.

“Hey. You’re my first choice. Always.” Charlie smiled and used Alex’s tie to pull him into a kiss. Alex sighed against his lips, but it was a sigh of relief. They sat there, losing all sense of time and the world around them, in each other’s embrace. After a little while, Alex pulled off him, panting lightly. Both of them had created a little friction, and both of them could feel the result. Even after five years of intimacy, Alex felt shy all of a sudden. Maybe because it was their first time as a married couple, the nerves kicked back in. He got off Charlie’s lap and loosened his collar, facing away from him.

“Alex? What’s up?” Charlie looked at him, wondering if he’d gone too far.

“U-Um...” Alex stuttered then sighed loudly, shaking his head. “Fuck it. I know we’re not strangers to......having sex.....but people say you have to like to consummate the marriage? What does that even mean?” Alex rolled his eyes at his own speech but was met with laughter. He turned around and frowned, watching Charlie laugh helplessly.

“What the fuck?! Don’t be a dick!” Alex growled, throwing a pillow at him. Charlie caught it and smiled softly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just because....my dad once tried to tell me about sex, and he used the word consummate. I never really understood it, and he definitely didn’t either.” He chuckled, throwing the pillow back. When Alex caught it, he felt a little less angry at Charlie’s previous outburst.

“Should we just....go to bed?” Alex sighed, getting up and changing into a shirt and boxers. Charlie still laid on the floor in his shirt and suit trousers, staring at Alex.

“To bed.....or to sleep?” He asked, half expecting Alex to throw something else at him. But instead, he barely heard the grunt Alex gave him.

“To bed, if you’re lucky.” Alex got into the huge bed, throwing various pillows on the floor. Charlie giggled and took his shirt and trousers off, sliding into bed next to Alex. He looked around, taking in the room. It was far fancier than anything they’d stayed in before, and they’d chosen well. Alex fidgeted uncomfortably and sighed, looking at Charlie.

“Okay, I’m going to go and check out that crazy room. There’s like a waterfall shower in there. Wanna come with?” Alex got out of the bed and held out his hand. He didn’t even wait a full minute before Charlie grabbed his hand and followed him to the bathroom. It was extremely fancy in there as well. Alex turned on the shower, and water splashed in from every crack in the wall. He spluttered, getting soaked instantly. As they both stripped, Charlie laughed and pulled Alex towards him, splashing him. It soon turned into a water fight, with steam coating the windows as the heat increased. As Alex went to splash him again, Charlie put his arms around his waist from behind, resting his head on his shoulder. He started kissing his neck softly, making Alex shudder slightly. He let out a quiet moan and breathed faster, his heart almost pounding his chest. He twisted his head around slightly and caught Charlie’s lips, making the younger boy groan. Reaching out, Charlie gently ran his hands through Alex’s hair as they kissed, tasting water on the other’s lips. It was already steamy in the shower, but it was about to get even hotter.

Not content with kissing Charlie haphazardly, Alex turned around and kissed Charlie fiercely, rewarded with the sounds of his soft moans. He felt his back touch the cold tiles behind him, Charlie’s weight pressing against him. He wrapped his legs around him, and Charlie supported his thighs with a tight grip. They both panted as Charlie nibbled down Alex’s neck, to his collarbone. Alex closed his eyes and moaned loudly, even louder when he felt their erections rub against each other.

“C-Charlie....we can’t in here...” Alex managed to gasp out.

“No? You don’t want to?” Charlie stopped kissing him and looked at him.

“I do! But.....water is not a lubricant...” Alex bit his lip, blushing a little. Charlie looked down slightly, then revealed a bottle of lube in his hand.

“Cheeky fucker. I didn’t see you get that.” Alex laughed lightly, and Charlie shrugged.

“Do you want to stop?”

“No. Charlie.....do whatever you want..." he whispered, kissing his ear. Whilst Alex normally took the reins, he wanted Charlie this time. He was completely under his control, and ecstatic to be there.

Charlie kissed him hard, their lips meeting in a haze of passion and desperation. Clutching at Charlie's shoulders, Alex felt a welcome intrusion from his new husband's wet fingers. Moving his butt to meet Charlie's strokes, Alex moaned even louder, threatening to alert the entire hotel of their actions. Smiling to softly to himself, Charlie picked up the pace with three fingers, biting his lip at the next sight he saw. Alex was pressed against the wall, glistening from tiny droplets of water and steam. His hair was a mess, his nails were digging into his own shoulders and his eyes were half-open, driven delirious from pleasure. Charlie shivered, fighting every urge to continue. He’d never hurt Alex, his desires spread from seeing Alex happy, or feeling pleasure like he was now. But Alex didn’t want to wait either, and kissed him, lifting his backside to give Charlie better access.

“G-Go on...” Alex uttered, legs trembling slightly from gripping and from anticipation of their next movements. Charlie nodded and produced a condom, seemingly from nowhere. When he’d prepared himself, Alex dug his nails harder into Charlie’s shoulder and gasped out when he felt Charlie push inside him. It was only their third time with Charlie on top, and Alex still couldn’t keep quiet when he felt the huge shaft inside him.

“O-Oh god! Charlie!” Alex almost screamed, tightening his legs around him. Charlie moaned, hearing his name said in such a desire-fuelled way. He adjusted his position slightly and started thrusting, using more power each time. Each hit drew loud moans from Alex, and after a few minutes he was at his limit. The heat, the steam, the thrusts.

“A-Alex....Alex.... Standall St George...” Charlie groaned out in panting breaths, holding Alex tightly. That was the final straw for Alex, hearing his new married name brought a new indulgence, one he’d never experienced.

“C-Charlie....Charlie....Standall St George...” Alex’s words escaped his lips before he brought Charlie to his climax too. The orgasm that hit them after that was indescribable, and they screamed out in unison as they came. Disconnecting from him, Alex slipped down from the tiles and lent against the sink counter, panting heavily. He could barely stand.

“Fuck.....Fuck.....” Alex held his chest, trying to stop his heart from literally leaping out of his body.

“Is that what consummation is?” Charlie laughed, running a hand through his sodden hair. Alex looked at him and burst into laughter.

“Yeah, I’d say so. God....that was just...” Alex couldn’t speak and stayed leaning against the wall. “We could have done that all night....it was so good...”

“Well.....we don’t have to stop...” Charlie edged over to him, holding him close again. Alex shut his eyes and kissed him. They continued making love long into the night, their passion and pleasure growing stronger, until neither of them could stand, and they had to retire to bed, to sleep this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of notices, I hope you enjoyed that scene! It ended up longer than I anticipated, but I hope it was good! Two of the quotes I stole from this are not mine but they are awesome shows so I thought i'd do an appreciation and a disclaimer here, the quotes are not mine!
> 
> "To bed, or to sleep?" - Jamie Fraser, Outlander  
> "Water is not a lubricant"- Alex Vause, OITNB  
> Both are amazing shows! :)


	16. How was the honeymoon?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I was going to do a long honeymoon scene but seeing as people go on a honeymoon for like a week, I thought it would be better to show Alex and Charlie returning from their honeymoon and sharing photos and stories with Tyler and Estela, because otherwise the story would be way too long. It just fitted with the story better to do it this way! Also as Tyler and Estela are my OTP I wanted to write more of them! Please enjoy reading, I love any reviews and kudos left, it always makes me smile! 😊

Yawning loudly, Alex awoke the next morning, forgetting that he was in such a huge bed. Even though there was a large amount of space, Charlie was still spooning him. He giggled lightly and ruffled his hair.

“Morning, husband.” Alex smiled softly as Charlie woke up, hugging him tightly.

“Hey, husband.” Charlie replied, stretching. “I slept so good.....that was an amazing night...”

“Yeah it was.” Alex leaned over and kissed him, before a buzzing alarm startled him out of his thoughts.

“Shit! Did we sleep in that long?” Charlie looked at the clock, seeing that it was now 10am.

“Are we doing something?” Alex asked, putting a shirt on.

“Our flight is in four hours! We need to move!” Charlie leapt out of the bed and was dressed in a flash.

“Will you please tell me where we’re going?!” Alex pleaded, throwing clothes into his suitcase, and grabbing a bottle of water. Charlie shook his head stubbornly.

“Nope. Meet me downstairs in 10 minutes, I’m going to load this stuff into the car.” With that, Charlie had disappeared. Alex smirked slightly and gathered the remains of his clothes, following his new husband to their honeymoon.

***

A week after the wedding, Tyler and Estela had transformed their home into a haven for their new baby. Alex and Charlie’s old room was now a complete nursery, with paintings and photos everywhere. Estela was too tired to paint, so Tyler had done most of the work. But he’d been so excited, he didn’t mind one bit. That particular afternoon the two of them were snuggled up watching a movie. Resting her head in Tyler’s lap, Estela was sprawled across the sofa again, nursing her stomach. It was still surreal that 8 months had gone by since she found out she was pregnant, but Tyler had waited on her and helped her through everything. As they watched the movie, the doorbell rang loudly.

“I’ll get it!” Estela stood up and rubbed her back as she went to the door. When she opened it, she was greeted by Alex and Charlie, both of them were grinning with a new tan. She smiled and let them in, and Tyler waved.

“Hey guys! Did you come straight from the airport?” Tyler asked, going to the fridge, and pouring out four glasses of orange juice. Alex and Charlie sat on the opposite sofa, still smiling. He passed them a drink and sat down with Estela.

“Mm! Do you like my new shirt?” Charlie grinned, showing off his multicoloured Hawaiian shirt. Estela laughed and looked at Alex.

“Let me guess, he tried to buy one for you?” She giggled and Alex nodded, smirking.

“Yeah, I didn’t let him.” Alex smirked, and Estela sipped her juice. She was fidgeting, eager to know more.

“So! Tell! Where did he take you? What did he do? Was it like, the most romantic thing ever?!” Estela bombarded questions at them and Tyler laughed, taking her hand. Alex smiled and looked at Charlie.

“We went to The Bahamas. When the airplane landed, there was this announcement over the tannoy system. The pilot was just saying the usual stuff, you know like security stuff. But then when he’d finished he was like.....I have a message from a Mr. Standall St George.” Alex chuckled lightly to himself.

“Oh my god, so everyone heard on the plane?!” Estela squealed and gripped Tyler’s hand, unable to hold back her smile.

“Yeah. He said, Mr. Standall St George would like to say that he loves Alexander and wants the entire world to know. And please enjoy the honeymoon!” Alex finished, still giggling. Charlie smiled brightly, clearly proud of his announcement.

“I think you guys should give Estela a minute, she’s going to explode here.” Tyler smirked, holding her close. Estela shook her head.

“No no! I want to hear more! Tell me every gory detail!” She smiled.

Charlie and Alex spent the next two hours filling in Tyler and Estela on their honeymoon. They spent a week in The Bahamas, relaxing on the beach and enjoying cocktails by the pool. Charlie had left love notes all over the hotel and taken every opportunity to indulge his new husband. At night they’d gone to different restaurants and had picnics on the beach under the moonlight. Both of them had sunbathed, which had given them rich and glowing tans. Estela went through Charlie’s suitcase, admiring all the flamboyant shirts that he’d brought. Also laughing when she discovered that he’d snuck one into Alex’s suitcase without his knowledge. As they went through pictures of them on the beach, Charlie commented that the pictures would never be as good as Tyler’s, but Tyler didn’t object. Going through the items that they’d brought; Alex pulled a teddy bear out of his suitcase. It was wearing a sunhat and holding a spade. He presented it to Estela.

“Hey, I brought this for you. Well, for the baby.” Alex smiled and gave it to her. Estela squealed and cuddled it.

“Thank you! I’m sure she’ll love it!” Estela smiled widely and played with it. Alex and Charlie raised their eyebrows.

“She?” Charlie said, confused.

“Well, we’re still keeping the sex a surprise. But Estela is certain it’s a girl, I’m not sure why.” Tyler said, smiling. Charlie nodded, watching as Estela sat back down and rubbed her stomach.

“O-Ow.....Ty? Could you get me a ginger tea? She’s really rampant today. She only seems to get this mad when Alex and Charlie are here...” she smirked. Tyler nodded and made a ginger tea, the smell making Alex wrinkle his nose.

“I forgot you liked those gross herbal teas.” He held his nose whilst Tyler walked past with the tea, handing it to Estela.

“Have you two thought about names yet?” Charlie asked, looking at Tyler.

“We’re not sure yet. We like Ella if it’s a girl. But we still haven’t really discussed it, right Stel?” Tyler looked at Estela. She nodded but groaned in pain, leaning back.

“Shit......Tyler....can you get a pillow or something.....the pain is just.....ah..” Estela groaned loudly, alarming Charlie who was sitting next to her.

“S-Should we go?” Alex asked nervously, unsure of what was wrong with Estela. Tyler had gone to get a pillow and Estela was in too much pain to respond, so he and Charlie sat looking awkwardly at each other. As Estela moaned in pain, Charlie suddenly jumped up from the sofa.

“Uh Tyler?! Did you and Estela want a home birth?!” Charlie shouted anxiously. Tyler raced into the room, panicked.

“No? Why?!” He raised an eyebrow.

“BECAUSE MY FUCKING WATERS JUST BROKE!” Estela shouted angrily, Alex suddenly realising why Charlie had leapt up, to avoid the wet patch.

All three men looked at each other in turn, the panic evident on their faces.

_Oh boy, we’re in trouble._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger again, I love doing that! Also, I think I used that line in one of my other stories, the last one. But, are we going to see Chalex and Tyler deliver a baby? I think we are ;) Stay tuned!
> 
> Also, I can totally see Charlie being a doctor if he wasn't an athlete, just because he's so kind and caring. Do you think he'd be a good doctor? Let me know hehe :)


	17. Home Delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon/evening! Or maybe even morning, whichever applies to you 😊 I’m back with another chapter today, I was just so excited to be writing this chapter, we’re finally going to meet the baby! I haven’t decided what the last chapters after this will be, but I’ll do some planning and write them when I’ve finished school stuff again! Please enjoy this cute scene!

Estela panted on the sofa, staring at each panicked expression, clutching her stomach.

“Can you please just....do something?!” She screeched, shaking everyone out of their frozen panic. Alex grabbed his phone and called for an ambulance, whilst Tyler ran over and gripped her hand.

“Just hold on, we’ll get you to the hospital soon.” Tyler said softly, but Estela dug her nails into his hand.

“I-It’s not gonna wait Ty! This baby is coming now!” She groaned loudly, panting faster.

“Tyler....they said it’s gonna be at least 20 minutes...” Alex said, still on the phone with the hospital. Tyler bit his lip and looked at Charlie.

“Charlie, can you get a towel or something?!” He panted, trying to steady his breaths but clearly clueless on what they needed to do. Charlie nodded and raced to the cupboard, grabbing any towel he could find. Tyler managed to get Estela on the rug, placing a pillow behind her back. He rubbed her back as Charlie rushed back, putting all the towels down. Estela moaned loudly, squeezing the life out of Tyler’s hand.

“It’s too early....Tyler..” She panted, leaning back slightly as she grunted in pain again. She kicked off her underwear and pulled up her dress, not realizing that Charlie was sitting right there. Tyler and Charlie both looked at Alex for some kind of direction.

“Alex what the fuck is taking them so long?!” Tyler shouted, still hyperventilating slightly.

“T-They said there was a traffic collision! They said they can guide through the phone though!” Alex shouted back, running over to them. He took Estela’s other hand, letting her grip onto him as well. Estela held Alex and Tyler’s hands hard, looking down at Charlie.

“C-Charlie......you’re gonna need to help with this...” Alex said nervously, but instead of seeing panic on Charlie’s face, Charlie looked confident.

“Of course. We all need to be strong here.” Charlie smiled softly and nodded, grabbing the last clean towel, and staying near Estela. With another groan from her, Alex listened intently to the paramedics.

“Okay, so they’re asking how far apart your contractions are?” Alex asked her.

“N-Not very far.....maybe like 10 minutes...” She gasped, her grip tightening on both boy’s hands. Tyler winced in discomfort but held her tightly, easing her through it. Alex relayed the information back to the paramedics and nodded at the next instructions.

“Okay! We need to keep her comfortable guys. They said breathe steadily, they’re on their way. But the delay is really bad on the road, so we might have to deliver this baby ourselves. Estela, just hold on. I’m going to keep talking to them.” Alex said, as everyone held hands for a moment.

Even though the paramedics were desperately trying to reach the house, Estela remained in labour for 3 hours with just the three boys by her side. As it reached the fourth hour, Alex had gained all the information he could from the hospital, and they prepared for the baby. He put his phone away and held Estela’s hand with both of his own. Tyler was still rubbing her back, practising breathing with her that they’d learned at pre-natal classes.

“Fuck! It hurts so much! Hmm! Ahh!” Estela screeched, drawing blood from Tyler’s arm. Even through the pain, Tyler never let go of her. He wasn’t concerned with his wound, just her health.

“Estela, the paramedics said push when your body feels ready okay? We’re all here, it’s gonna be okay.” Alex said softly, surprisingly calm after it all. Charlie was still at the opposite end of them, closest to the baby’s arrival.

“Stel, it’s gonna be okay. We all love you.” Charlie smiled reassuringly, ready with the towel. Estela nodded, panting heavily still. Beads of sweat gathered on her forehead, and she braced herself for the next moments. She gritted her teeth and screamed out, starting to push. Through her groans, she looked at Tyler. He smiled back at her, taking a deep breath with her every time she went to push again. As Charlie was acting doctor, he smiled softly when he knew she was close.

“Estela you’re so close! One more push!” He cheered her on, seeing the head of the baby begin to emerge. She nodded and gripped both boy’s arms hard, yelling loudly as she gave one last, fierce push. With that, she lent back panting. She loosened her grip on Alex and Tyler held her close.

The sound of crying echoed in the room, and a small bundle wailed in Charlie’s arms. He’d wrapped the baby in the towel, it’s tiny face and arms poking out. Alex couldn’t help but stare for moment. He’d never seen Charlie hold a baby before, and the sheer bliss on his face made him sigh happily.

_You’d make such a good dad...._

Not knowing that Alex was staring at him, Charlie grinned widely and handed the baby to Tyler.

“Congratulations.” He smiled softly, wiping a stray drip of sweat from his face. Charlie hadn’t expected to deliver their baby, but he was happy to do it. He sat beside Alex, watching as Estela and Tyler cooed over their new infant.

“It’s a girl...” Tyler whispered, too overwhelmed for words. Even though its features were tiny, it had Tyler’s eyes and Estela’s small nose. She cried for a few minutes, then nuzzled into Estela’s neck. Tyler was crying silently and wrapped his arms around his family. He kissed Estela on the forehead, then did the same to the baby. Alex and Charlie smiled, leaning on each other.

“What are you going to call her?” Alex smiled, rubbing his arm lightly where Estela had clawed him. Estela smiled softly and cradled her, playing with her tiny hand.

“Well....” Estela smirked slightly and looked at Tyler.

“Charlie.....you were amazing, you were so calm. Thank you for delivering her.” She said, looking at Tyler again, asking him a question but not out loud. Tyler sighed slightly then giggled.

“What’s she’s trying to say Charlie, is that she wants the baby to be named similarly to you, because you delivered her. Our midwife was called Phyllis....so I’m kinda she wasn’t named after her...” Tyler laughed, and Charlie gasped.

“You.....Want to name her after me?” Charlie said, almost at the brink of tears.

“It was an amazing thing you did! You got way more than you bargained for too, you only just got back from your honeymoon.” Estela giggled. Charlie wiped a tear away and smiled, nodding slightly.

“I’d be honoured if that’s what you want to do. She’s so beautiful.” Charlie said, looking over at her.

“Carly?” Tyler smiled, stroking her head. Estela nodded, taking to the name straight away.

“Isn’t that a bit close?” Alex laughed and leaned on Charlie’s shoulder.

“Carla. Close enough, to not be the same.” Estela smiled and kissed Tyler’s cheek.

“Welcome to the family, Carla Down.” Tyler smiled back, hugging them both. As Alex watched them, his thoughts were overwhelming. He was ecstatic for Estela and Tyler, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Charlie holding a baby. He shook his head and kissed Charlie’s cheek.

“Well done.” He pulled Charlie’s head into his lap, stroking his now sweaty hair. Charlie purred softly, obviously tired from the situation as well. As everyone rested, the paramedics arrived and took Estela and Carla to the hospital to be checked over. Tyler went with them, and Charlie and Alex followed in the car. They wanted to see if the couple needed anything, after such an exhausting ordeal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not so sure about the name haha, Carly was too close to Charlie but seeing as he delivered it, I figured he deserved some credit haha :) Next chapter will be Carla grown up a little and playing with everyone :)


	18. Kids?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers! We’re coming to the end of this story, which is sad for me because I love writing this! However, as this is part of my looking into the future series, I will be doing another story which involves Chalex adopting. I wanted to do a fresh story though, because I wanted to make it ten chapters, and this current story needs to end on a high! So, please enjoy reading and I’ll have a new chapter of my new story out soon! Also, all my stories can be read on their own, but if you read the Looking into the future of Chalex and Tystela series, you might enjoy the events that happen before this one, and after! Love to you all, and hope you have fun reading this last one! 😊   
> This is also a 2 year time lapse from chapter 17!

Two years after delivering Estela’s baby, Alex and Charlie could barely remember the stressful ordeal. It had definitely been a learning experience for the two of them, but maybe not one that would come in useful for future situations. But they were so grateful to have brought such a beautiful little girl into the world. On that particular day, they were visiting Tyler and Estela, who had completely remodelled the house. Everything was child-friendly, and most of the old furniture had been replaced. The four of them sat in the garden on a checkered picnic blanket, chatting about their lives. As they sipped juice, they watched Carla running around on the grass excitedly. She was a bright and bouncy two year old, curious about everything around her. She had learned how to walk a few months ago, but still wobbled slightly in the long grass. Her short dark brown hair bobbed around her in bunches, and she was wearing a white shirt with pink dungarees. Even though she enjoyed crawling through the dirt, she was quite a clean toddler as Tyler wiped her down almost every minute. Tyler was a strict but loving father, his previous OCD habits keeping Carla safe. As everyone chatted, Carla bounded up to them holding a flower.

“Mommy!” She exclaimed, giving Estela the flower. Estela smiled widely and picked her up, giving her a cuddle.

“So Alex, you were saying you went to see Clay last week?” Tyler said, rummaging in the picnic basket. Alex nodded, taking a swig of his juice.

“Yeah. We got a coffee, he told me that Heidi is pregnant too.” Alex smiled softly. Estela smiled and tickled Carla, looking at Alex and Charlie.

“It seems like _everyone_ is having kids!” Estela said, hinting at Alex. Alex sighed and shook his head, playing with a thread on the picnic blanket. The idea had been planted in his head ever since Estela had announced her pregnancy, and two years later nothing had changed. Luckily, Charlie didn’t hear Estela’s words as Carla ran over to him as she spoke.

“Char Char!” Carla couldn’t quite say Charlie’s whole name, but she’d heard it so often that she’d picked up the first part. Charlie smiled widely and picked her up, swinging her around in his arms. She giggled deliriously, whining when he stopped. Tyler, Estela, and Alex watched them, smiling when Charlie put her down and hid in the grass. Carla looked around confused, then squealed in delight when Charlie jumped out at her, pretending to be a tiger. He played with her, following her down the garden and acting surprised when she showed him a collection of leaves she’d found. Alex sighed deeply again, and Tyler patted his shoulder.

“I’m glad we chose you both as Godparents. He’s a natural, no?” Tyler said. Alex looked at him, then down at the blanket.

“I’m not sure I am though......he finds it so easy to be kind and get on with everyone. He’d make a good dad....but would I make a good mom?” Alex said, flinching when Estela chuckled.

“Alex, honey, you don’t need to be a good mom. You and Charlie can share the responsibilities, you’re both mom and dad. Just like me and Tyler. Sure, I gave birth to Carla, but we share everything. There doesn’t need to be a stereotypical mom and dad.” Estela said reassuringly, patting his other shoulder.

“You’re amazing with Carla too. She feels safe with you. Haven’t you noticed how she curls up on you, like a cat? You emit this......calming mood.” Tyler smiled, watching as Charlie came over with Carla on his shoulders.

“What’s everyone talking about?” Charlie said, sitting down and putting Carla on the blanket.

“Ah, nothing. Just admiring you.” Estela giggled, leaning on Tyler. Tyler held her close and kissed her forehead, looking at Carla. Carla was looking at everyone around her, wondering who she wanted attention from. She wobbled a little, then ran to Alex, leaning on his leg.

“Awex! Hug!” She demanded, her little face turning grumpy. She would get her hug if she had to cry to get it. Alex chucked softly and held his arms out, smiling as Carla launched herself at him, snuggling into his shoulder. He rocked her softly, and she was asleep in seconds. There was something about Carla that made Alex feel relaxed, maybe because she didn’t know anything about the past. She was just a toddler, that seemed to love everyone that she met immediately. But she loved Alex and Charlie more than regular people, and Tyler and Estela wanted her to be close with her Godparents. Alex held her close and shut his eyes for a moment, wondering if it would feel the same holding his own child. It was so calming, he almost fell asleep, but blinked fast and found three faces smiling at him.

“We better take her for a nap. She’s worn herself out again. Do you two want to stay for dinner?” Tyler asked, taking Carla out of Alex’s arms. Charlie and Alex nodded, following them into the house.

All through dinner, Alex couldn’t help feeling empty. Two years of marriage had been so amazing, and he couldn’t love Charlie more if he tried. But he couldn’t help feeling that there was a little too much love in his heart, that could be used for good. Having Carla as a Godchild was amazing too, but there was a longing. A longing to have a child of his own, a family with Charlie. He wasn’t sure if Charlie felt the same way, but judging on how he acted with Carla, he hoped it was the same for him. When they eventually headed home, Alex sat on the sofa in their apartment and tapped his foot against the carpet. Charlie joined him on the sofa, putting his arm around him.

“Hey. What do you want to do this evening? Movie?” He asked, stroking his back. Alex looked at him, trying to gather courage.

“Charlie?”

“Mm?”

“I have to....tell you something....” Alex said anxiously, looking down at his foot. Charlie raised an eyebrow, not sure what to think. He nodded and edged slightly closer.

“What is it?” Charlie asked, nuzzling his cheek. Alex took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes, knowing he needed to say his next words confidently.

“Ever since we delivered Carla, I’ve wanted a kid. It was too soon back then, but now....It’s all I can think about. I love Carla, and I want to keep visiting. But.....I want to have a family with you. I love you Charlie. Do....do you want kids?” Alex murmured the last words of his sentence, but hoped Charlie heard.

Charlie had to blink a few times before he could process what he’d heard. It was a shock, but a welcome one.

“Alex....you have no idea how much I want to have a family with you. You are my family, of course. But I love Carla too, and when I play with her I can’t stop thinking about it too. Let’s do it. Let’s have kids.” Charlie beamed, and whilst Alex had seen him smile before, he’d only ever seen this particular smile at their wedding. Alex grinned and kissed him, the two of them embracing on the sofa. Charlie’s words echoed in his head and he knew everything was going to change.

_Let’s have kids!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah I enjoyed writing that one! Also, I can't decide whether Chalex should adopt or it should be an Mpreg, please let me know what you think! I do have an idea about the adoption though, so I might go down that route! Just hit me up in the comments and let me know your opinion :)


End file.
